RECAP: Exeter were bottom of the league at the end of November and got into the play-off final, Forest Green boss Mark Cooper remains positive after sixth defeat in nine games

Forest Green 0

Swindon Town 2

FOREST GREEN boss Mark Cooper is garnering positives ahead of taking the early season strugglers to Cambridge United on Tuesday night.

In front of a global television audience, Cooper witnessed an agonising defeat to his former club Swindon Town.

Rovers looked like they had done enough to pinch a point, but porous defending saw Olly Lancashire handed the chance to bundle home a corner from former Premier League veteran Matty Taylor, with four minutes to go and Taylor sealed the points in stoppage time when Rovers keeper Bradley Collins inexplicably allowed his 25-yard shot to fizz under him.

Rovers slipped back into the bottom two, but Cooper remains unbowed, and pointed to Exeter City as an example of table climbing hope.

“Exeter were bottom of the league at the end of November and got into the play-off final,” said Cooper who has now seen his side lose six of their opening nine games.

Rovers started brightly enough and looked pleasing on the eye, with Drissa Traore pulling the midfield strings against his former club. Toni Gomes and Luke Randall were adding pace on the flanks, but despite the pretty pictures, Lawrence Vigouroux enjoyed a quite evening in the Town goal.

Traore’s substitution midway through the second-half weakened Rovers and an injury to defensive warrior Dale Bennett, put the skids under Cooper’s side.

Swindon looked a threat, but Luke Norris missed a catalogue of chances – his withdrawal and subsequent hissy fit, summed up his frustration.

And Cooper predicted the Swindon goals were coming as his side lost their way.

“You could sense it coming - that we were dropping deeper and deeper,” said Cooper.

Rovers introduced Omar Bugiel and new signing Isaiah Osbourne for a fatigued Traroe, but without the success Cooper wanted.

“ Drissa got tired and once he gets to 65-70 minutes, you know sometimes you have to to get him off," revealed Cooper.

“As much as our substitutions affected the game last week, they didn’t as much this week.”

Cooper felt Swindon’s late show changed the course of a game that looked to be heading for a low key draw.

He said: “There is nothing in the game and the goals change the game. The first goal, it’s difficult to see. It could have been an infringement on the goalkeeper and the second one, the goalkeeper knows he has got to stop.”

“I said to the players, let it be us that gets the goal. Let it them that make the mistake, not us, but it wasn’t to be.”

"There wasn't a lot in the game. There wasn't a lot of goalmouth action but that's been the story for us so far. A little bit of pressure comes and we cave in. We have to be better under pressure and we can't just give away goals like that.

"It's about being mentally strong individually and making sure your man doesn't score."

Forest Green: B Collins, Bennett (Iacovitti 54), Laird, L Collins, Roberts, Traore (Osbourne 67), Noble, Cooper, Doidge, Randall, Gomes (Bugiel 66)

Subs not used: Russell, Stevens, Brown, James.

Swindon Town : Vigouroux, Purkiss, Lancashire, Robertson, Hussey (Taylor 77), Gordon (Woolery 62), Dunne, Elsnik, Mullin, Anderson, Norris (Smith 81).

Not used: Charles-Cook, Linganzi, McDermottt, Knoyle.

Attendance: 3,305 (804)

Star Man: Drissa Traore.