Steve Cotterill: In-form Forest Green will stay humble in relegation fight
Posted Wednesday, March 13, 2024 by PA
Steve Cotterill has set his sights on dragging more teams into the League Two relegation picture after Forest Green moved out of the bottom two.
Two goals from Christian Doidge earned Rovers a 2-0 win at Bradford – their fourth victory in seven games.
That took them above Colchester into 22nd spot and Cotterill wants to keep building the momentum.
He said: “I’ve been in the game a long time and things can change in football. Let’s hope we can keep it going now and stay above that line and claw in another team or two.
“We’re happy, but we’re humble. We’ll now be a lot higher in the form table too.
“They’re really united in that dressing room and now they know what I’m talking about when I say team spirit. They’re doing the unsavoury jobs for each other.
“It was an unbelievable result and fully deserved as well. We were exceptionally organised, especially when you’re getting worked.”
Doidge scored with a first-minute header and then converted a stoppage-time penalty after a foul on Charlie McCann.
“I’m so, so pleased for him,” added Cotterill. “Those two goals are brilliant.
“He was at it from the start and he was at it right at the end.
“We’re not there yet. But I think that’s probably down to a couple of three-game weeks, when you get less time on the grass, as well as injury and illness.
“You’re gambling when you’re putting people on the pitch who have had very few minutes.”
The defeat ended a six-match unbeaten run for Bradford.
And Bantams manager Graham Alexander admitted the early goal played into Forest Green’s hands.
“The goal right in the first minute gave them the opportunity to play the game they wanted, playing so deep and blocking up all the space we need to try and create,” he said.
“We got sucked into playing at a pace that they were happy with.
“We thought we had control of the game and the possession but that’s what they wanted. They were in control of the pitch.
“It’s a poor goal from our perspective. It’s poor how they win a corner straight from the kick-off.
“We’re going backwards instead of coming on to it, which we’ve been really good at.
“We gave a team fighting for their lives a massive present in the first minute.
“In the second half we got into better areas but just couldn’t find the quality to get the equaliser.”
Substitute Jamie Walker came close to a second-half equaliser before a ricochet almost went over the line.
“I don’t know if it didn’t,” added Alexander. “I think we should score off the first one because it’s a great chance.
“The second one comes off their defender and looked over the line but it’s irrelevant now.”
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