After the National League loss to AFC Fylde (0-3), Steve Cotterill, manager of Forest Green Rovers, expressed disappointment with some fans.
The relegation strugglers secured all three points with goals from Will Hugill, Harry Davis, and Nick Haughton, while Rovers suffered their heaviest defeat of the season.
“All it does, it ends up that all the work you do in the week, it goes out the window because until you have ever played the game out there, you never know what it is quite like.” Cotterill said on the fans.
“I don’t know where they would have been for the last couple of years, but this club hasn’t been in a very good place for a couple of years, but it hasn’t done bad this year.
It is inevitable that we will occasionally have games that are not our best. I am aware of the players’ characteristics, their contributions to the club, and their ongoing efforts on its behalf. I’ll always stand with the guys on board; That is something I will always do.
Fylde netted the first goal of the match 25 minutes in when Fabian Mrozek made a good save on Gavin Massey’s shot; however, it was only redirected into Hugill’s way for an uncomplicated finish.
The Coasters were presented with a chance to increase their lead when they made a rapid break through Hugill again. The ball reached Lincoln McFayden, but his shot went over the crossbar.
Within a minute of the second half, Fylde put the ball in the net with Massey’s volley finding the top corner, but it was disallowed due to a handball ruling.
David Longwell’s side doubled their lead in the 62nd minute when Davis was found inside the box for a powerful strike past Mrozek.
Rovers had rolled the dice just two minutes before Fylde’s second, bringing on Harry Cardwell and Christian Doidge to play with two upfront. On the unfortunate timing of the goal, Cotterill said: “At the end of the day, it is always a gamble when you make subs, some of them come off and some of them don’t. It just happens.”
A third was scored with 20 minutes to go when Haughton lined up an effort from the edge of the box to secure the three points.
Rovers’ best chance came with a minute to go when Doidge rattled the post with a volleyed effort.
Forest Green were forced into a first-half substitution when Liam Sercombe needed to be replaced by Harvey Bunker. On the midfielder, Cotterill said: “We thought that groin of his had settled down a bit, but obviously it hasn’t. It has caused him a little bit of a problem; we maybe need to get it scanned this week to see where he is. We had him ultrasound scanned last week to see if he had a hernia because sometimes a hernia can relate to a bit of groin pain. We need to get to the bottom of that.”
The result saw Fylde climb two places, boosting their chances of survival in the National League. On the Coasters’ performance, Cotterill said: “I don’t know how much of the ball they had; they were well-disciplined and worked on the basis of a counter-attack, that is how they got their goals and from restarts.
“All credit to Dave (Longwell), he will always be a friend of mine, the credit goes to him, his players and staff today because they have won the game. The best of luck to them going forward.”
Forest Green have seven games remaining of the regular league season and currently sit six points clear of Oldham Athletic in fourth.
“We were still dominant in large parts of that game, without the moment happening. It can happen, we have had lots of good times this season, we end up with these games and they are going to be awkward between now and the end of the season. Funnily enough, I thought the lads were better in the second-half than they were in the first.”
With the disappointment, there was a lengthy conversation after the full-time whistle between Cotterill and the supporters. On that issue, he said: “There was a little pocket and I think it seems to be a young generation, the boys come back to me from time-to-time, I think it is maybe the same few. I can’t have them singing bad things to them like ‘they are not very good’.”
Rovers are next in action when they host Solihull Moors next Saturday in the National League (12:30pm kick-off).
AFC Fylde: Winterbottom; Bardell, Davis, Whelan, McFayden; Mitchell, Riley (A.Long 90+2) Hugill; Roberts (Evans 74), Haughton (Boatswain 83), Massey (Adom 90). Subs not used: Clark, Obi, Ormerod.
Forest Green Rovers: Mrozek; Osadebe (S. Long 80), Inniss, Harries, Robson; McCann (Knowles 80), May, Sercombe (Bunker 44); McAllister, Quigley (Cardwell 60), Garrick (Doidge 60). Subs not used: Tozer, Fleming.
