Football Forest Green Rovers

Forest Green Rovers mid-season review: Rovers hoping to go one better this season and push for promotion

We have reached the halfway stage of Forest Green’s 2021/22 League Two season and the Green Army are sitting at the top of the table, nine points clear of second-placed Tranmere with a game in hand.

Rovers will be keen to go one better this year after finishing last season in the play-offs, despite spending most of it in a promotion race with Cheltenham Town.

Rob Edwards reflects on the start to 2022 and looks ahead to Northampton away

They have been bolstered by the form of top scorer Jamille Matt, who has netted 15 times in the League this season as well as seven assists, while Matt Stevens has notched 13. Also, no player has more assists in the fourth tier than Kane Wilson.

As you would expect from a team top of the table, Forest Green have scored 47 goals, a solid rate of more than two per game, and the second best defensive record conceding just 20 – a quarter of those in a crazy 5-5 draw with Oldham Athletic in December.

What the Green Army must be weary of, though, is what happened last season.

After matchday 36, Forest Green were second on 62 points, just one behind local rivals Cheltenham and two ahead of fourth place. Mark Cooper’s side then proceeded to pick up just three wins in their last 12 games, which got him the sack, followed by a semi-final play-off defeat to Newport County 5-4 on aggregate.

They had to go again in the summer. They made smart additions such as Regan Hendry and Ben Stevenson from Raith Rovers and Colchester United respectively. But perhaps their most important acquisition was that of manager Rob Edwards.

Rob Edwards Sky Sports interview

The former England under-16s coach impressed the club when he was first appointed with his “footballing philosophy and vision for the club’s future.”

And the club are certainly being repaid for the faith they’ve shown in Edwards. Rovers play entertaining football with full-backs Kane Wilson, who has been touted for a move to a Premier League team, and Dominic Bernard bombing up the pitch to create chances for the two front men Matt and Stevens.

Rob Edwards, Head Coach of Forest Green Rovers celebrates at full-time after his team's victory in the penalty shootout during the Carabao Cup First...
Edwards has done a brilliant job so far. The key now is keeping the momentum going into 2022

One obstacle the Green Army will have to get through is making sure they keep all of their key players.

Speaking after the 2-0 win against Colchester, Edwards said: “We’ve definitely got a happy group, We’ve got some good players and there probably will be some interest in some. We keep going about our business and keep working really hard.

“They (The players) love being around each other. I said it in the media the other day we can achieve something special this season. The players have put themselves there (top of the league). We’re halfway through, there is a long way to go. It’s certainly been a good first half to the season and we just have to keep it going.”

Things are looking rosy for Forest Green Rovers at the halfway stage. Now, they must continue to build momentum to join Gloucestershire rivals Cheltenham in League One for the first time in their history.

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