Forest Green boss Robbie Savage lavished praise on his side after they delivered the perfect Christmas present with a swashbuckling display at Yeovil Town.
Temi Babalola’s sweet finish and an own goal from former Rovers loanee Jed Ward gave Rovers the victory in Somerset in a game that saw Harvey Bunker sent off in the 66th minute.
A chuffed Savage said: “I haven’t got enough accolades for this group. They keep showing their desire, their determination, their spirit, togetherness and the culture has changed at the football club.
“This is a tough place to come, Billy (Rowley) has done a great job, and they were unbeaten under him, to play the way we did, and then to defend the way we did, Tre’s block towards the end, Harry’s save, and I thought it was Kanu’s best game, he was outstanding.
“It’s a joy to come to work, it’s Christmas now, but for me and for this group, it’s Christmas every day because of the facilities we have and the togetherness we have, and I mean that, Martin O’Neill said it to me when I was younger, it’s Christmas every day for football players.”
Swipe through Peter Barnes’ match gallery
Rovers opened the scoring on 16 minutes through Babalola as Jayden Clarke feld Jili Buyabu down the left-hand side, his ball across the box was fizzed in from inside the box, much to the pleasure of Savage.
“Temi with a goal, what a performance from big Temi, got his goal, and then he pointed at me because I’ve been onto him all week.
“Look at his work ethic, look how he brought Kyle in when he held the ball up and laid it off, it’s a tough job up there on your own, but he was magnificent for us.”
Forest Green bagged a second when Buyabu pulled the trigger, and Finn Cousin-Dawson tried to clear the ball, but it hit Ward and into the back of the net with Clarke also in the mix.
Bunker saw a second yellow dismissal in the 67th minute after a foul on the near touchline, but Savage afforded his player some sympathy: “For the first yellow, Bunks is trying to get out of the way, there was a coming together, and the referee felt the need to book him.
“Then when you’re on a yellow card, it’s in our corner. I think Mendy can deal with it better, Bunks has covered; he’s got a second yellow, so he’ll miss a game, which will be a blow because he’s been magnificent for us.
“When Mendy goes forward, Bunks becomes a centre-half, and he does it really well, and he’s been absolutely magnificent, so I’m not going to have a go at Bunks, he’s done a job for the team again.”
Yeovil Town: Ward; Efete (Plant 73), Ferguson, Cousin-Dawson, Wannell, Daly; Tobin (Joliffe 73), McGavin (Sims 73); Greenslade (Campbell 73), McCormick; Jarvis.
Subs not used: Gould, Ellison, Oluwabori.
Forest Green Rovers: Isted; Knowles, Mendy, Kanu, Buyabu (Dausch 85); Bunker; McAllister, Whitwell, Haughton (Robson 67), Clarke (Pemberton 74); Babalola (Doidge 85).
Subs not used: McNicholas, Bamba, Mitchell.
Referee: Alan Dale.
Attendance: 3,179
FGR on the road: 256
Star Man: Kanu Abraham – calmness personified at the back.
