RISING ROVERS THRILL COOPER
FOREST Green boss Mark Cooper praised his “outstanding” team as they became only the second side to win away at Exeter City this season.
Two brilliant goals by Reece Brown and Liam Shephard did the damage, although Aaron Martin pulled one back in stoppage-time to reduce the arrears. But the victory was no more than Rovers deserved and left Cooper thrilled.
“It was outstanding,” Cooper said. “The bits we weren’t great at on Tuesday we worked really hard at on the training ground. We looked really good today, disciplined and solid and like we had a real threat.
“We were dominating with and without the ball.
“The start of the game we were a bit sloppy, we had good dominance, territory and possession and we were turning the ball over a bit too cheaply.
“You can’t do that because, at some point, we will turn it over and they will hurt you.
“We said to them at halftime let’s tidy up with the ball and we will get the breakthrough and it was fantastic goal from Reece.
“Along the way we will have some bumps, but as long as we keep working hard and try to play like we did today we will be all right.”
The away side had the better of possession in a largely uninspiring first half, but it was Exeter who came closest to scoring.
Pierce Sweeney’s excellent pass was knocked down by Jayden Stockley and Nicky Law ran on to the ball and rounded goalkeeper Robert Sanchez, but his shot clipped the inside of the near post and rolled across goal to safety.
Forest Green took just five minutes to break the deadlock at the start of the second half and it was a wonderful goal. Brown picked the ball up on the corner of the penalty box and curled a delightful shot into the far top corner.
Rovers continued to play the better football and doubled their lead after 72 minutes when Shepard found himself in space on the edge of the penalty box and smashed a superb shot into the far corner.
Martin pulled a goal back in stoppage time in bizarre circumstances when his clearance from halfway went straight to Robert Sanchez, but he inexplicably allowed the ball to go under a foot and into the net.
Exeter boss Matt Taylor admitted the better team had won. “We are disappointed with our performance,” he said. “It might have been a game too much for some of our players, but we can’t make excuses.
“We have had a tough schedule in recent weeks with illness and injury in the camp, but we were a yard short. I thought we were really poor. I have not been able to say that too many times this season.
“It’s disappointing, it really is, especially with the new stand opening. It was a big day for everyone at the club, but we haven’t got too high when we win and we won’t get too low off the back of that.”