Mark Cooper rues individual errors as Forest Green slip up at Crewe

Posted Sunday, April 28, 2019 by PA

Mark Cooper bemoaned individual errors as Forest Green’s automatic promotion hopes were ended when they let a two-goal lead slip in a 4-3 defeat at Crewe.

Charlie Kirk’s late double – which saw the attacker punish a mistake by Rovers goalkeeper James Montgomery with a stunning lob – secured the Railwaymen a dramatic win which left Cooper’s side mathematically out of contention for a top-three finish.

Rovers boss Cooper pointed out: “We were 3-1 up and cruising and we just needed to see the game out after what was a really good away performance – apart from the first 20 minutes.

“It is difficult to put that defeat into words, but it was individual mistakes that cost us as that game was won. But we know what we need to do now and we’ve got an exciting couple of weeks ahead of us.”

It was an afternoon of see-saw emotions for Forest Green who at one stage were level on points with third-placed Mansfield after coming from behind to lead 3-1 with goals from Reece Brown, Junior Mondal and Christian Doidge.

A storming run from Crewe midfielder Tommy Lowery led to Chris Porter applying a clever finish for what was the veteran frontman’s 15th goal of the campaign to open the scoring after 19 minutes.

But Crewe were handed a lifeline when Joseph Mills diverted Charlie Kirk’s into his own net just after the hour mark.

Kirk was a force throughout for Crewe and he drove Lowery’s cross in at the far post to level with three minutes left before seizing on Montgomery’s miscued clearance and lobbing a fine finish at the death.

Cooper added: “There was a blatant foul on Christian Doidge in the build-up to Crewe’s second goal and Reuben (Reid) scored a great equaliser but a linesman 70 yards away thought it was handball.

“The referee didn’t give us a lot but that is the way it is.”

Crewe boss Dave Artell admitted: “I didn’t see the handball and I am not doing an Arsene Wenger. If they got it right then great, but if not then we’ve got away with it.”

“That was the best game of football I’ve seen all season – two good teams trying to play the right way.

“But we didn’t know we were beat and Charlie took his goals well.

“The first he made look easy and the second one from 35 yards he seized on a mistake.”