Radio bragging rights belonged to Forest Green boss Robbie Savage as his table-topping “Invincibles” pulled the plug on Hartlepool United superfan Jeff Stelling.
Savage, who co-presents the BBC Five Live 606 football phone-in show, had promised to text the legendary talkSPORT Breakfast host at full-time—and he kept his word.
Kairo Mitchell’s first-half opener proved the decisive moment, ending Hartlepool’s unbeaten start to the season and extending Rovers’ mesmeric run under their new boss.
On social media banter with Stelling, who didn’t attend the defeat in Gloucestershire, Savage quipped: “Jeff (Stelling) was brilliant on TV — the show they had was exceptional. He does a lot of brilliant work off the field as well, and I’ve got huge respect for him and the career he’s had. I can send him a tweet saying: ‘Never mind, Jeff — maybe mention that on your show on Monday after we’ve beaten you.’”
The former Wales midfielder joined fans on the terraces to revel in the post-match celebrations, a gesture that underlined his commitment.
“I love it,” Savage said afterwards. “I think the scepticism when I got the job was: is this just a celebrity appointment? But I’ve earned the right to manage a football club like Forest Green from my time at Macclesfield. I started at under-13s level, getting out of bed early in the morning with my youngest, putting up the nets.
“Macclesfield was a big risk for me—109 points, smashed every record. I’m not a celebrity appointment. I’m a hard-working individual who loves football and detail, who gives everything, and will continue to do this throughout my managerial journey. Whether it ends here and I don’t do very well, or goes on to bigger and better things and I get promoted with this club, I’ll always give my all.”
Pools boss Simon Grayson felt his side bossed the first half and deserved to take something out of the game, he said: “First half we were the dominant team, we started the game really, really well, it was a good entertaining first half, and then they probably scored when we had a few opportunities in that first period as well.
“We had a great opportunity in the second half, but we had other opportunities in the first half, where lads who are normally reliable are just a little bit anxious and swiping at things rather than getting some contact on it, because we deserve to get something out of the game.
“I was pleased with the overall performance, but if you’re going to get something out of the game, you have to make sure that you score and put the ball in the back of the net.”
Hull City loanee Harvey Cartwright was Pools’ standout player with a catalogue of fine saves, Grayson added: “He’s there to do what he does and he makes good saves. Their goalkeeper made some good saves as well, so it was a real entertaining game. As I said, we started the game really, really well and we went toe-to-toe with them, but ultimately, as a team, we were disappointed not to get something.”
With the opening exchanges nip and tuck – the tenacious Laurent Mendy put in a monster tackle to deny Alex Reid inside the Forest Green box. Pools’ keeper Cartwright rebuffed a Nick Haughton stinger after Jordan Moore-Taylor opened the visitors up. A sloppy clearance from Cartwright presented the quick-thinking Kyle McAllister with a chance to lob the backpeddling keeper – the ball missing the top corner by a whisker.
Rovers broke the deadlock on 23 minutes – West Brom loanee Harry Whitwell strode forwards from midfield to release the scampering Tom Knowles who arrowed the ball into the box and was touched home on the line by Mitchell.
Cartwright’s reactions denied Mitchell a second goal on 40 minutes – the Hull City loanee miraculously scooping the ball over the bar. Cartwright’s palms were busy again – gloving a Mendy strike wide. Seconds later Cartwright smothered at the feet of Mitchell and got up well to thwart Moore-Taylor.
Only a last-gasp Cameron John block thwarted Mitchell after Whitwell’s clever ball conjured the chance on the hour. Moore-Taylor headed wide from a corner as Rovers hunted a second.
Pools’ substitute Danny Johnson fluffed his lines with 10 minutes to go – stinging the gloves of Luke McNicholas when scoring was easier as Rovers cemented their place at the top of the embryonic league table.
Forest Green Rovers 1 (Mitchell 23)
Hartlepool 0
Team line-ups
Forest Green: ( 4-2-3-1) McNicholas 7; Pemberton 8, Kanu 8, Moore-Taylor 8, Kengni 7; Mendy 9, Whitwell 7 ( Moore 81); McAllister10, Haughton 7 (Bamba 61, 7), Knowles 7 (Inniss 53, 7 ); Mitchell 7 ( Walker 81).
Subs not used: Pagel, Clarke, Balagizi
Hartlepool: ( 5-2-1-2) Cartwright 8; Benn 6 (Johnson 66, 7) , John 6, McNally 5, Topallaj 6; Miley 6 (Walker 81), Sheron 6; Daly 6 (Folarin 81); Reid 6
Subs not used: Smith, Parkes, Hunter, Featherstone
Half time: Forest Green 1-0 Hartlepool United
Referee: Michael Barlow
Star man: (Kyle McAllister Forest Green, midfielder)
Attendance: 2,802
Rating:5 /5
Match statistics
FGR/ Hartlepool
Shots on target: 13 / 3
Shots off target:5 / 4
Corners:12 / 5
Offside:2 / 1
Fouls: 9/ 8
Yellow cards:2/2
Red cards: 0/0
