Mark Cooper happy with Forest Green’s patience

Posted Sunday, August 18, 2019 by PA

Forest Green boss Mark Cooper lauded his side as substitute Junior Mondal sent a dogged Rovers joint top of the early-season table.

Livewire Mondal broke the stalemate after 76 minutes – finding the bottom corner of James McKeown’s net after Dom Bernard’s inviting cross and Shawn McCoulsky’s initial strike was blocked.

Cooper said: “I didn’t think it was a very good game as a spectacle because Grimsby came and sat behind the ball, which makes it difficult.

“We had to be patient and their threat is from set-pieces and they’ve got James Hanson, who is a real threat in the box, we let them get too many balls into the box, but we defended brilliantly.”

Cooper withdrew striker Matt Stevens at the break for Dayle Grubb and his influence along with Mondal spiced up a pedestrian first half.

Cooper added: “We had two forwards on the pitch in the first half and we were too static, we couldn’t get the ball in and around them, so we went with one forward and one number 10 and then two number 10s and we tried everything to knock the door down and it was a game of chess and we were trying to break them down and in the end we did.”

The season maybe in its embryonic stages, but Cooper is more than satisfied with his side’s start.

He added: “We’re joint top of the league after three games, so all isn’t bad.”

Grimsby boss Michael Jolley felt his side had more clear-cut opportunities than Rovers on a frustrating day for the Mariners with star striker James Hanson particularly profligate in front of goal

“We’re frustrated by the result. If the game’s about how many passes you make and how much possession you have, then Forest Green deserve to win.

“But I think if the game’s about how many chances you created, I feel like we created more good chances to score than they did. Other than the goal, I can’t remember too many chances that they created.

“Overall, we’re very frustrated because we feel it was a missed opportunity. It was a solid performance from us, and had we taken the chances we created, then we would have taken something from the game.

“We respect the way they play. It’s obviously a unique style and very possession-based. It’s not for me to say anything about them other than they’re a good opponent, and they’re good at what they do.

“I felt that we limited them to not very many chances in the game, and we created enough chances ourselves when we could and should have scored.

“Had we done better in those moments, I think we would have taken something from the game.”