As the final whistle blew at Huish Park last night the weight of Forest Green Rovers’ survival hopes visibly lifted off the shoulders of manager Mark Cooper’s shoulders.

It may not have been the prettiest of encounters on a wet and miserable evening in Somerset but it didn’t matter to any of the 200-odd fans standing soaked through to the bone behind the goal to the left of the dugouts.

The point garnered from the 0-0 draw was enough for them to ensure they could do it all again in the Football League with two games to spare.

While the fans greeted the players who went to salute their hardy followers in the far corner of the ground with renditions of ‘we are staying up’, it was not a time for jubilation for Cooper but one of reflection on a job done from a difficult position in December and for taking stock before a busy summer.

“The players can have a day off tomorrow but we’re not celebrating the fact that we’ve stayed up,” he said in his post-match interview.

“We’re relieved that we’re going to be in the EFL next year and we’ll strive to establish ourselves as a Football League club.

“We want to finish the season properly and go to Luton and see the atmosphere of a promotion team and put on a good show for the last two games.”

The game itself was not one for the purist but The New Lawn boss was content with his side’s resilience and the support from the fans.

“We didn’t really build on that good start and it’s anxiousness that makes you drop deeper and deeper but in the end we saw it you quite comfortably,” he explained.

“I think it’s difficult when both clubs need a point so the energy went out of the game. I was pleased with the way we started but we just descended into panic mode for the rest of the game due to anxiousness and nerves.

“The fans did well today and they got behind the boys when they needed it and especially in the 10 minutes of added time, that was a killer.”

The second half was marred by an injury to goalkeeper Brad Collins as the youngster was stretchered off just before the hour mark following a knock to the head but Cooper says he is waiting on further details of the injury.

He said: “He’s a bit groggy so he’s gone to hospital for assessment to see what stage of concussion, if there is a concussion, he is at.”

Although this season isn’t quite over, the FGR boss is already making plans for next season and considering what he and his side can do to build on the club’s first campaign in the Football League.

“We didn’t recruit well enough in the summer and if you don’t recruit well enough then you’re going to struggle as you’re only as good as your players,” said Cooper.

“We had to do something and the boys that came in in January gave us that little bit of know-how and physicality but were safe now so we can start planning so that we don’t make the same mistakes as we did last this year.

“We have aspirations and we want to do much better next season.”