Ahead of Forest Green Rovers’ play off semi final against Newport County on Tuesday, May 18th, Park Life Sport took to Football Manager to simulate the matches.
In an alternate world, Mark Cooper was still the boss at the innocent New Lawn for the first leg and had a few extra loan recruits including that of young midfielder Will Ferry from Southampton. Elsewhere in the side, there was the inclusion of the game’s fantasy Forest Green signing, Armand Traore.
When it came to the action, Cooper’s Forest Green were surprisingly attacking, racking up a total of 17 shots during the entire game. Their third of the match rewarded a first goal, Ferry scoring past Tom King in the Newport goal after a pinpoint Kane Wilson cross.
King, who scored against Rovers’ rivals Cheltenham in real life this season, was helpless to stop the opener here. As the away side took control of the game, Cooper’s men could only test King from long range, unable to force a meaningful save from the Newport keeper.
Forest Green’s football manager simulated side dominated for large periods of the game. They were briefly troubled as the game approached half-time, Chris Stokes booked for a cynical foul on Jake Scrimshaw. The on-loan Bournemouth striker would have been in on goal had he evaded the tackle, it seems that Newport County carried their anger towards the decision throughout the rest of the tie.
As the second half came, perhaps realistically Cooper’s motivational team talk didn’t appear to have worked, Elliott Whitehouse forced to bring down Brandon Cooper just 27 seconds into the second 45. Rovers looked to regain their composure from there on though, once again controlling the game.
County were limited to Jack Evans’ wild and off target effort midway through the half. There was a lack of clinical finishing at the other end though, something that Cooper suffered from in his spell at the club, substitute Aaron Collins unable to bury either of his one-on-one opportunities.
Rovers were made to pay late on, King’s long kick found it’s way through the Rovers defence as they opened up like, well…a typical Forest Green team under Cooper. Namesake Brandon Cooper was the player that took advantage of the poor defending, slotting away his right footed strike into the bottom corner of Luke McGee’s net.
Newport closed out the game and took away a valuable draw in a game they should have lost. Although the stats look equal, Forest Green’s poor approach play let them down. As it turned out, this wasn’t a result that Dale Vince’s Football Manager ego could handle.
In the second leg, we saw a change of management for Rovers in a turn of events which saw Graham Westley at the helm after a disappointing first leg result for Mark Cooper.
Westley and his new look FGR side lined up with loan signing Anis Mehmeti in midfield with Ebou Adams – who is unavailable for the real life first leg fixture due to suspension.
The change of management seemed to do the trick for the home side, Adams’ threaded pass found Odin Bailey who smashed home the opening goal to put Rovers 2-1 up on aggregate. This was a sig of things to come as Rovers strolled into the final.
Another goal before halftime extended Rovers lead to 3-1, the attacking midfielder benefiting from poor defending from Scot Bennett, Collins was the man of the match as the real-life Rovers beat Oldham to set up their play-off tie with Newport.
Although County found a way back into the game, Jayden Richardson’s misdirected clearance ending up in his own net, Forest Green cruised through the second leg. Nicky Cadden firing home with a left footed volley to all but seal the passage to Wembley.
Josh Davison sealed an emphatic play off performance with a quick-fire double, cancelling out Cooper’s conciliation strike midway through the second half for County. His first was a smooth turn and shot towards the bottom corner before rounding off a 6-3 aggregate win with a first-time strike from Cadden’s low cross.
Although this is entirely fictitious, there is perhaps some reality in the attacking form that Forest Green carried into these two fixtures. Jimmy Ball’s real-life Rovers will have confidence going into this fixture, especially with the reversal of the matches due to Newport’s pitch conditions.
With fans allowed back at the innocent New Lawn on Tuesday, brushing taking their Football Manager skills and make-believe play off form into reality could see a historic season for Gloucestershire’s Green Devils.
It is also worth noting that when the season was simulated to it’s conclusion was that Forest Green were ultimately promoting, beating Grimsby 3-2 in the final at Wembley.
