Title hopes take a hit with poor home defeat
FOREST Green Rovers have lost their place at the top of Sky Bet League Two for the first time since reaching the summit in September, writes Laurie Martin.
The promoted Gloucestershire side were in pole position to take the title, but their 3-1 home defeat to Harrogate coupled with Exeter’s point at Northampton means that the Grecians are now in charge heading into the final game.
It was a Forest Green team unrecognisable from last weekend’s heroic efforts at Bristol Rovers, and there was a contrast to the post-match scenes, with many players hunched over when Chris Pollard blew the full-time whistle.
Going in level at half-time felt like a let-off, with Jamille Matt’s stoppage-time penalty cancelling out Jack Muldoon’s spot-kick.
But Jack Diamond scored 40 seconds into the second half, and the third goal arrived in comical fashion as Dan Sweeney and Jake Young failed to clear their lines, with the ball falling for Lloyd Kerry to rifle past Luke McGee.
A point at Mansfield could be enough to see Forest Green win the title if Exeter lose at home to promotion-chasing Port Vale, but the situation is ultimately out of Forest Green’s hands.
“I have so much pride and I’m so happy with the season as a whole
FOREST GREEN ROVERS 1 HARROGATE TOWN ........ 3
because we got promoted,” said head coach Rob Edwards. “We’ve done what we set out to do, but today was a real opportunity to win a game of football, and we know what that would have meant had we done it. It has been a fantastic season, and we all have to be really proud of that, but we can’t go out with a whimper. We’re so much better than that.”
Forest Green therefore must clear their heads and go for broke against a Mansfield side battling for automatic promotion. Exeter must host a Port Vale side aiming to do likewise, so all is not yet lost for the Nailsworth side.
Despite the defeat, hundreds of Rovers fans stayed behind to watch the end of the season awards. They voted for top scorer Matty Stevens as their player of the season.
Forest Green: McGee, Godwin-Malife, Moore-Taylor (Sweeney 19), Cargill (McAteer 70), Wilson, Hendry (Young 62), Adams, Cadden, Aitchison, Matt, March. Not Used: Bernard, Stevenson, Diallo, Thomas. Booked: McGee.
Goals: Matt 45 pen.
Harrogate: Cracknell, Thomson, McArdle, Sheron, Burrell, Austerfield, Pattison, Power (Kerry 63), Diamond, Muldoon, Armstrong. Not Used: Kavanagh, Beck, Martin, Legge, Giles.
Booked: Thomson.
Goals: Muldoon 40 pen, Diamond 46, Kerry 72. Attendance: 4,040.
Referee: Peter Wright (Merseyside).