Jimmy Ball confident about play-off chances after Forest Green win at Oldham

Forest Green interim boss Jimmy Ball is delighted that his team will be “in the right groove” as they head into the play-offs following a final-day 3-0 win at Oldham.

Rovers comfortably sealed their play-off semi-final spot against Newport thanks to three second-half goals at Boundary Park.

Ball, who also revealed that he has been told he will remain in charge until the end of the season, said: “That result, and getting in the play-offs, is nothing more than everyone deserves at the football club.

“That’s the staff, the players, and of course the fans.

“We’ll now head into the play-offs in the right groove – we’re in good form and that’s a perfect position to be in.

“We were a bit edgy in the first half, a bit nervy for 20 or 25 minutes, but we changed the shape and matched them up, and after that I just always felt a goal would come.

“We kept going into the second half and showed that hunger and desire you need, and we got there in the end.

“I always knew we’d get a goal, so to get two so quickly after one another like we did, that just knocks the stuffing out of the opposition.

“We’re confident heading into the Newport game and, if we execute like we have today, we’ll be just fine.”

It was a nervy first-half performance from Rovers.

Oldham went closest to breaking the deadlock when Dylan Fage fired off target after being sent clean through.

Two goals in three second-half minutes then swung the game into Rovers’ favour.

Aaron Collins slotted home from the spot, before then teeing up Odin Bailey for a confident finish.

Collins’ excellent solo effort sealed Oldham’s 15th home defeat of a largely miserable campaign.

Boss Keith Curle again pulled no punches.

He said: “We wanted to end the season on a real high today, but it just didn’t happen that way.

“We just weren’t good enough, and if I’m being perfectly honest, some of these players just aren’t good enough to be playing for this club.

“We’ve talked about it a lot, but we just keep making mistakes that cost goals, and silly mistakes at that.

“I can try and change the players, but it’s not always as easy as that.

“This club has got a long way to go to get back to where it should be.

“The culture and the ethos of this football club needs changing.

“Once again today, the whole dressing room have let this football club down, and that’s not good enough.

“It’s about how we work in the summer months now, and what action can be taken in terms of looking at the playing squad.”