Mark Cooper: Reece Brown has Premier League talent

Posted Wednesday, October 24, 2018 by PA

Forest Green boss Mark Cooper insists Reece Brown has Premier League quality as he starred in his side’s emphatic 3-1 victory over Tranmere.

First-half goals from Brown and Liam Shepherd saw Forest Green take control.

Former Birminghamy midfielder Brown opened the scoring on 11 minutes, wrapping his foot around the ball to find the bottom corner of Scott Davies’ goal.

Tranmere sub Paul Mullin pulled a goal back with five minutes to go, but Tahvon Campbell made the points certain with a strike from the edge of the box six minutes into stoppage time.

The Gloucestershire side made it 2-0 on 39 minutes. Brown’s sumptuous pass caught out the flat-footed Stephen McNulty, who took Campbell down in the box.

From the spot, Gavin Gunning’s penalty was kept out by the legs of Davies, but the ball hit the shin of Shepherd and flew into the net.

Mullin made a game of it with a goal for Tranmere on 85 minutes, but Campbell sealed it in stoppage time, curling beyond Davies.

Cooper said: “Reece (Brown) is a Premier League player if he wants to be, but the one thing that is stopping him is himself – he’s got everything and could go and play for Chelsea now, and not look out of place.

“His first goal was a brilliant finish and his ball for the penalty was a Premier League throughball.

“Steve McNulty had to bring Tahvon Campbell down, and it was a fantastic bit of skill for the penalty.

“I thought we got off to a brilliant start but I would describe it as frantic and we knew all about James Norwood’s movement and we could have been 3-1 down in the first 10 minutes after being 1-0 up.

“I thought Tranmere were the best side we have played in terms of the way they moved the ball, but we managed just to get the job done and score three goals.”

Tranmere boss Micky Mellon felt it was a tough defeat to take, he said: “We came here on the back of a run of good results and fantastic backing from the fans, but I just felt in the first half we just weren’t brave enough with or without the ball.

“We believe we have got players good enough to be at this level, but we weren’t brave enough without the ball and when we had to press people, or good enough to get into good areas, or just take part in the game and pass the ball.

“We improved in the second-half and had a good chance to get back in the game, but it was disappointing that we didn’t perform over the 90 minutes.

“We will get going again and work hard in training to get a performance out of the team for Saturday.”