Mark Cooper will relax only when Forest Green are safe from relegation

Posted Sunday, April 22, 2018 by PA

Forest Green boss Mark Cooper insists he will only relax when his side are mathematically save.

His side virtually rubber-stamped their League Two status as stoppage-time goals from substitute Dayle Grubb and Christian Doidge guided Rovers to a 4-1 victory to send Chesterfield to a probable second successive relegation.

Cooper’s side require a point from their final three games to secure their League Two survival.

“We are nearly over the line, but I refuse to relax until everything is done and dusted,” admitted Cooper.

Rovers took the lead in the 26th minute when Scott Laird arrowed in an angle drive from 25 yards.

Kristian Dennis levelled things up from the penalty spot for Chesterfield in the 36th minute after Reuben Reid clipped Drew Talbot inside the box.

Cooper added “I thought Chesterfield acquitted themselves well and asked a lot of questions, it was a very tense afternoon as you would expect, but we managed to get the job done.”

Rovers were indebted to Chelsea loanee keeper Brad Collins, who denied Kristian Dennis with 20 minutes to go and Cooper acknowledged his influence.

Cooper added: “Brad Collins was outstanding and we have managed to get four goals off the back of it. His development has been incredible and he will go back to Chelsea an accomplished young goalkeeper.”

With 15 minutes to go, Cooper introduced Dayle Grubb and his impact was immediate, just two minutes after coming on, he rolled in Doidge who finished with aplomb for his 23rd goal of the season in the 77th minute.

Chesterfield’s Jacob Brown struck the post in the 90th minute and as the game entered six-added minutes an impish piece of skill from Grubb made it 3-1.

A minute later Alex Bray was tripped in the box for Doidge to convert his second and Rovers’ fourth, his 50th in two seasons.

Chesterfield boss Jack Lester was left to rue a raft of first-half missed chances as the Derbyshire outfit face up to back-to-back relegations.

His side are nine points away from safety with three games remaining but will not be able to overturn their 19-goal difference deficit.

Lester said: “It’s not all about today, is it, but the game should be dead, we should be two or three ahead in the first half and then at 1-1 we miss from two yards away or however far out it was and they go up the other end and score.

“That’s been pretty much it, not good enough in both boxes. “I take full responsibility for that.

“We should have killed it off. We should have been three or four up and in charge of the game,” reflected disappointed Chesterfield manager Jack Lester.

“We created some great chances, but you need to take those when they come along. Those are big moments and we didn’t make the most of them today.

“Forest Green are quite an easy side to play through and we were brave on the ball. But we didn’t have the killer touch in front of goal.”