Date and Time: Saturday 10th March
Venue: The New Lawn
Referee: Mark Heywood
The Green Devils have been in sensational form lately and are unbeaten in their last five matches, and earned an impressive point at Newport County in the week to boost their survival hopes. Mark Cooper’s side have also won five home games on the spin and they will be keen to make that six when hosting automatic promotion hopefuls Notts County on the weekend.
Rovers are now seven points off safety following their fine form as they continue to rise up the Sky Bet League Two table. Over the course of the last six games, they have the seventh best form in the league and if they can sustain that type of form between now and the end of the season, they will be within an excellent chance of maintaining their Sky Bet League Two status.
The hope for Cooper and Forest Green Rovers, is that they can build even more momentum this weekend. However, it won’t be easy. Especially against a side of Notts County’s calibre, who have been flying under Kevin Nolan so far this season as they aim for promotion to League One with just 10 games to spare – and it is certainly getting down to crunch-time at both ends of the table.
There has only been two previous meetings between Forest Green Rovers and Notts County. The Magpies won the 2010 FA Cup tie between the two sides 2-1 at Meadow Lane, but the Gloucestershire-based outfit earned an impressive point against Notts County in the other fixture earlier in the season as they met in the football league for the first time ever – it was when Nolan’s side were top of the league and Cooper’s men were planted to the bottom of the League Two table, as well.
If they’re to survive this season, they need to ensure to toughen up the defence. The Green Devils have conceded an astounding amount of goals this season and the second most in league two – 59 games in 35 games. Only 23rd placed Chesterfield have conceded more goals this season, with the Spireites conceding on 61 occasions this season.
Saturday will be a tough challenge for the Green Devils, make no mistake about that. But if they can continue in their current vein of form, there is no reason why they can’t defeat the Magpies, who haven’t won on the road since boxing day – when defeating Morecambe 4-1 at the Globe Arena.
PRESS: Manager Mark Cooper and defender Haydn Hollis are about to sit down with the local press ahead of tomorrow’s visit of @Official_NCFC. Updates to follow… pic.twitter.com/tKwoNz8fK6
— Forest Green Rovers (@FGRFC_Official) 9 March 2018
Nolan’s side will need to start picking up points on the road, especially if they want to remain in the top three and have an opportunity of being promoted to League One this season. The visitors are currently placed 19th in terms of form over their past six games on the road and that is something which surely would have been addressed by the former West Ham United midfielder Nolan, as they aim to pick up their first three points of 2018 on the road.
With just a few months of the season to spare, there is a lot to play for at both ends of the table on Saturday, but the Green Devils will fancy themselves against a Notts County side who have struggled on their travels so far this season. There will certainly be a sense that if Forest Green Rovers win on Saturday, that they may even be looking up at the table as they look to put a bit of breathing space between themselves and the bottom two, with Cooper’s men currently lying seven points above the dreaded drop zone.
THE REFERRE
The referee who will take charge of proceedings on Saturday afternoon comes in the form of experienced football league official Mark Heywood. He has overseen 25 games so far this season and has produced a staggering 104 yellow cards and three red cards. He has yet to referee a Forest Green Rovers game so far this season, but oversaw Notts County’s 2-1 home victory over Colchester at Meadow Lane earlier on this season.
RECENT HGHLIGHTS
We’ll have team news updates as we get them from Mark Cooper’s press conference this afternoon.
(Featured image: Roger Cornfoot)
