Forest Green got a long overdue home league win as Reuben Reid’s deflected effort sealed the points against Crawley Town at the New Lawn.
Here are five things we learned from Saturday’s win at the New Lawn.No
1. No Doidge, no problem
Forest Green's unbeaten run is showing no signs of stopping despite fears that losing Christian Doidge’s goals could hinder the team.
It hasn’t as Reuben Reid has stepped in brilliantly. He’s scored three goals in four games since Doidge left and he led the line superbly against Crawley. Not only did he score the goal but he held the ball up brilliantly and created a lot of chances for his team mates.
2. Rovers can hold onto a 1-0 lead
So often this season Forest Green have been 1-0 up and conceded a late goal. Oldham, Bury and Port Vale to name a few but they didn’t look like conceding against Crawley.
The defence were solid and Rovers dominated the ball in the second half and went in search of their second goal. They’ve now overcame a psychological barrier.
3. However, they’re still missing big chances
Like most home games, Rovers should have killed it off but didn’t.
Liam Shephard and George Williams both had great chances to score but fluffed their lines from close range. If Forest Green can just consistently produce that bit of composure in front of goal they could go on to have a special season.
4. George Williams becoming a super sub
George Williams once again made a huge impact from the bench with his energy and creativity. Rovers created a lot more chances, including the goal, after the Welshman came on. He won the penalty at MK Dons last week and has looked deadly coming from the bench.
Fans may have been surprised to see him on the bench after his cameo last week but perhaps it’s something we may see regularly given the impact and damage he is doing to other teams when coming on.
5. New kit is lovely
We finally got to see Rovers in green and black after the farcical Hummel era. The kit, designed by player, looked very smart and now has a 100% record of one game one win.
It’s a smart strip so it won’t be surprising if more clubs opt for Player Layer in the future.
Comments: Our rules
We want our comments to be a lively and valuable part of our community - a place where readers can debate and engage with the most important local issues. The ability to comment on our stories is a privilege, not a right, however, and that privilege may be withdrawn if it is abused or misused.
Please report any comments that break our rules.
Read the rules here