Duncan Ferguson issues a rallying cry to Forest Green Rovers’ fans ahead of Bristol Rovers clash

Forest Green Rovers manager Duncan Ferguson has called on the fans to “get behind the team” ahead of Saturday’s derby against Bristol Rovers.

League One’s basement club are without a win in 15 games and are currently 11 points from safety with only 11 games remaining.

However, the club are expecting a sell out for this weekend.

“It gets the atmosphere in the ground, and it will spur the players on even more,” said Ferguson.

“I think the home fans and away fans have been great with the team.”

The Greens’ last win came against local rival Cheltenham Town and Ferguson is confident of the tide turning.

He said: “We’ve shown really great signs. I think the players are improving. I think we’ve been in all the games.

“I sound like a broken record I understand that and I’m saying that over and over again, but I think only one team has really turned us over and I think we deserved something in all of the other matches.”

The manner of last weekend’s 2-1 defeat to Accrington Stanley with Oliver Casey being sent off after Myles Peart-Harris had put Rovers ahead is a classic example of this.

Standing in their way this weekend is Bristol Rovers and Ferguson will be reunited with an old friend in the opposite dugout.

He added: “I know a little bit about Joey (Barton). He’s a good guy and we keep in touch quite often.

“He’s a big Evertonian so when I was caretaker manager, he was always texting me, giving me advice and helping me.”

Joey Barton’s side sit in 15^th and are the top goal scorers in the bottom half.

Ferguson added: “They are a threat and have good patterns of play. They do score but of course there’s a balance to that and hopefully we can score a couple Saturday against them when they are attacking.”

Finding the net has been a struggle for Ferguson’s side with them only scoring eight times this calendar year and only two players have scored more than five goals this season.

One of those is Peart-Harris whilst Connor Wickham tops the charts with six but having now left the club, his absence is hurting the Greens.

But the former Scottish international believes in his current crop of players to stop the rot.

He added: “We will be the underdog again on Saturday, but it is not the size of the dog but the fight of the dog that counts.”