FOREST GREEN manager Mark Cooper felt his players got caught up in the high emotion of the derby as his side settled for a point in their League Two battle  with Cheltenham Town.

Dubbed the Gloucestershire El Glosico, Christian Doidge’s 12th goal of the season had given Forest Green an eighth-minute lead, but Gary Johnson’s side levelled things up through Mo Eisa’s ninth goal of the season on 39 minutes.

Relieved to emerge with a point,  Cooper admitted his team had not been at their best.

He said: "I felt the nerves and the occasion got to us. Players need to overcome pressure and they didn't do that today. We got caught up in the occasion, our better players didn't perform and we were ordinary.”

Former Aston Villa midfielder Isaiah Osbourne stood out for Rovers in the first-half, but failed to reappear after the break, which Cooper felt was the pivotal moment of the match.

He added: "It was a typical local derby and there was a lot of pressure. Losing Isaiah Osbourne was a blow, because he was our best player in the first half and drove the team forward.”

Rovers huffed and puffed after the break, but were indebted to Chelsea loanne keeper Brad Collins, who denied Eisa with a stunning one-handed save.

“ Our goalkeeper (Brad Collins) has made some really good saves and he's getting better all the time and he kept us in the game,” added Cooper.

"In the end, I was pleased with a point. There was a lot of huff and huff and not a lot of quality. But we've won four, drawn two and lost one of the last seven and, if we replicate that for the rest of the season, we'll be right up there."