Cooper urges Forest Green to find cutting edge after collapse at Macclesfield
Posted Sunday, January 26, 2020 by PA
A shell-shocked Mark Cooper says his Forest Green side need to find their cutting edge if they are to have a chance of promotion from Sky Bet League Two.
Rovers dominated at Macclesfield and led through Carl Winchester’s first-half opener but after they wasted a succession of chances – including Josh March’s saved penalty – they conceded with the hosts’ only two shots on target to leave empty handed following a 2-1 defeat.
“We should have won four or five nil in my opinion,” said Cooper after their second-straight loss.
“We totally dominated the game and, without being disrespectful to Macclesfield, we scored a good goal and were in complete control.
“Then Jevani Brown is clean through and rolls it past the post with only the keeper to beat, we missed a penalty, had more chances and didn’t take them.
“Over the last 10 games that’s been happening, I’ll get stick and people will say I have to do something about it but I can’t, they have to stick the ball in the net.
“We’ve had so many chances in the last 10 games and so much domination, we should be sitting at the top of the league.
“We’ve let a rubbish goal in for the equaliser then a brilliant goal – you have to take your hat off to their lad for that but it should have been out of their hands by then, it should have been all over.”
Forest Green had been by far the dominant side, with Macclesfield’s equaliser coming from Joe Ironside 15 minutes from time.
Then, after Corey O’Keeffe had seen a red card for his last-man foul on Aaron Collins, it looked like the hosts would have to hang on for the final 10 minutes to preserve a point.
But Arthur Gnahoua’s 83rd-minute wonder strike secured the unlikeliest of wins, Macclesfield’s first under new head coach Mark Kennedy.
And Kennedy paid tribute to his players’ resilience, after they weathered the storm to come out with three vital points.
“They showed today that they’re a tough nut to crack,” he said. “There’s a real team spirit and togetherness and while they have that, they’ll always have a chance.
“I couldn’t really see but the penalty looked soft to me. It looked like a good penalty but a really good save from Jonathan (Mitchell), it played a huge part in us winning the game.
“If it went to 2-0, the likelihood was that we weren’t going to score three goals to win.
“I love Joe (Ironside). I can’t explain what a lovely lad he is, and what a top team player he is so I was pleased for him.
“And I said to Corey (O’Keeffe) afterwards ‘you’ve won me the game, a top player takes their lad out there, otherwise he scores’.
“And I know Arthur (Gnahoua) can do that, he’s a fabulous talent, a really good player.”
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