Western Daily Press (Saturday)
It’s five cup finals for FGR now – Doidge
CHRISTIAN Doidge says Forest Green Rovers have “five cup finals” to save themselves from relegation out of the English Football League.
The 31-year-old front man has played his part in the Green Devils’ resurgence under Steve Cotterill, although Easter Monday’s 3-0 win at Crewe still left them three points from safety.
Doidge has scored three goals since returning to the club in January, while Jordon Garrick struck twice against the Railwaymen.
The former Hibernian forward said: “The manager tells us quite often that you can’t just count on me, Jordy (Garrick), Tyrese (Omotoye) and Kyle (McAllister) to get the goals. We need to get more from set-plays, that includes the boys at the back.
“Since I came back, I’ve known chances were going to be limited just because of the position we are in, but we have managed to get a few goals in the last ten games and I think we have been defending quite well.
“Obviously, we have let ourselves down a few times, but we know going into these next five games that we are going to have to be really sharp in every department.”
Forest Green host Milton Keynes Dons this afternoon before facing Mansfield, Wrexham and Morecambe away, and finally Notts County back at the New Lawn.
Doidge added: “It certainly is (one game at a time). In all honesty, I think that is the only way we can look at it at the moment.
“The best way to look at it for me, I feel like it is five cup finals now, we have got to do everything that we can, we have got to prepare right and we have got to be ready to go.
“It (MK Dons) is another massive game, the teams around us have got hard games as well, so it will be really important for us to get points at the weekend.”
Regarding the overall relegation picture, Doidge said: “I can’t sit here and say that I don’t look at other results, because you certainly do. When you come in on a Saturday, the first thing you do is go on your phone and have a look how other teams have got on.”
Forest Green were involved in a relegation scrap when they were in their first season in League Two, which Doidge was a part of.
He added: “I feel like it was a completely different kind of squad back then. We played an entirely different style of football, but I have got so much experience (of relegation fights). I did it last year with Kilmarnock in the Scottish Premiership when I was on loan (from Hibernian) and I think it is all about trying to keep a cool head, and not to get too disheartened.”
Swindon boss Gavin Gunning insists he is working as hard as he can to turn fortunes around.
Having been early-season highfliers under Mike Flynn, Swindon’s form has nosedived since autumn and there are still a few nagging fears over relegation around the County Ground. Town are, however, nine points above the League Two drop zone and could be mathematically safe after today’s game at Barrow.
Gunning said: “If you were here every day then you would see the process of me being the first one in and the last one away.
“I am giving it everything here, but sometimes the performances haven’t looked like that and that is the biggest frustration for me.”