TAKING the measured approach, Forest Green head coach Mark Cooper remained grounded after his side crashed out of the FA Cup at Carlisle United.

A first-half header by defender Aaron Hayden gave Carlisle a win in their FA Cup second-round replay to earn a third-round trip to Championship side Cardiff.

Cooper told BBC Radio Gloucestershire: "Nothing in the game, we gave a free header from a set piece. I don't think they had many other chances, but I don't think we played particularly well, but we had enough chances in the second-half to get something out of the game."

Following the 2-0 defeat at home to Scunthorpe United on Saturday, Cooper made a raft of changes due in part to the absence of captain Joe Mills (tonsillitis), Elliott Frear and Celtic loanee Jack Aitchison Adam Smith, Junior Mondal, Dayle Grubb, Aaron Collins and Kyle Taylor were afforded starts, but failed to hit their straps.

Cooper added: "It was difficult, when they come into the team, they're desperate to get a chance and show why they should be in the team and do well because of the pressure they put themselves under."

Rovers' head coach worked hard to coax his side from the touchline on a testing night in Cumbria.

"That's the hardest I've worked as a coach on the touchline," revealed Cooper.

"I was trying to find a way of just getting a spark and if that's putting the big centre- half down the middle and playing four forwards off him then so be it, we had some good opportunities late on to try and get that equaliser - Collins has hit the bar, Ebou missed a great chance, Junior missed one and Kyle Taylor missed a great chance in the first-half."

Watch Mark Cooper's full post-mach interview with BBC Radio Gloucestershire's Paul Furley.