Rovers looking to exploit chinks in Hatters’ armour
BOSS Steve Cotterill says that Forest Green Rovers have “practised numerous patterns and issues this week” ahead of hosting promotion-chasing Stockport County in League Two today. (3pm)
With Stockport sitting second in the league, Cotterill made his thoughts known on this weekend’s opposition: “They are a team full of good players, they have got some very good individuals that we need to be very mindful of at the weekend.
“They are up there in the top three of the table. Dave Challinor has done a fantastic job there, he has been backed very well by the owners. They are a progressive club now after spending quite a few years down in non-league.
“They have come back and the resurrection of them has been absolutely first-class. That is probably down to the ownership and then picking the right manager and they have done that in Dave, ably assisted by Clint Hill who is another good guy that I know.”
Today’s visitors boast an impressive record of being the league’s third top goal scorers with 75, just behind Mansfield Town and Notts County.
On their attacking firepower, Cotterill stated: “There are certain players for them that make them tick, that is a definite. There are some outstanding individuals within that team structure that they have.”
At the other end of the pitch, Stockport have the league’s secondbest defensive record having only conceded 40 all season.
On what can be done to help the Rovers score this weekend having not done in their last two, Cotterill said: “We will always train on what we think potentially is an area that we can exploit, no doubt other teams have tried to do that as well against them.
“We will carry on doing what we do which is preparing in the best possible way that we can and potentially find a way that we can attack, hopefully that comes off on the day.
“We have worked on things going forward and we have practised numerous patterns and issues this week that we feel as though we can try and take to them. It is just whether we actually do that in the game, I don’t think we have done that enough throughout the season.”
Jordon Garrick and Reece Brown made their return at the weekend to feature against Doncaster, on the duo’s return, Cotterill said: “Normally what happens here is we end up having a player or two that get back fit and we lose another one, or another two.
“We have had an issue with one of our lads this week, that probably won’t make the starting line-up.
“All of a sudden you get a Jordon Garrick that hasn’t played all season and then you have got another player that you potentially lose out and might only have maybe on the bench.”
Under Cotterill Rovers have enjoyed a good run of form against the better sides in the league such as Barrow, Bradford and Walsall.
Cotterill said: “Let’s hope that continues! I think what’s happened there a little bit, when teams bring the game to us, as long as we can stay organised and know what we are doing, we will probably get more chances because they open up.”
The two sides met many times in the National League but have only played each other once in the Football League. They previously met when the Hatters ran out 2-0 winners at Edgeley Park.
Rovers will be familiar with former loanee, Odin Bailey, making a return to The New Lawn this weekend. The attacking midfielder made 43 appearances, scoring four goals in that time with the Gloucestershirebased side.