Emotional Forest Green boss Steve Cotterill was disappointed that his side’s season came to an end after a heartbreaking 4-2 loss on penalties to Southend United in the National League play-off semi-final.
The Shrimpers’ Jack Bridge swept home four minutes from the end of time to cancel out Emmanuel Osadebe’s extra-time header to make it 2-2 and force the shootout, with Gus Scott-Morris scoring the spot-kick which secured victory.
“I have to be brutally honest; I wasn’t preparing for our season to end.” Cotterill said on the gut-wrenching loss.
“I genuinely thought we were going to win. That wasn’t out of any arrogance, I was just confident in our lads. Congratulations to Southend as well, I have just been and shaken hands with all of their guys, which was tough. I thought it was the right thing to do.”
Forest Green had a chance to open the scoring just three minutes into the game when Liam Sercombe picked out Joe Quigley from a cross, but his header drifted wide of the post.
Keenan Appiah-Forson struck the post 17 minutes into the game with a powerful effort that Rovers could do nothing about, but the effort ricocheted back into the box which eventually went behind for a corner.
Southend were ahead after 54 minutes through Goodliffe when his looping header drifted over Ted Cann to open the scoring.
Ryan Inniss drew Rovers level just eight minutes later when a swinging cross from Kyle McAllister found his head for a powerful effort past Nick Hayes.
Rovers were ahead just five minutes into extra-time when Osadebe was found for a header by Sercombe into the bottom-corner.
Southend were nearly level two minutes into the second-half of extra-time when Josh Walker was picked out and his header was tipped over by Cann.
The Shirmpers were level in the 117th minute when Bridge was found on the edge of the box by Goodliffe for a sweet shot into the bottom left-corner.
Southend wrapped up the win on penalties after Tom Knowles and Sercombe missed for Rovers as Gus Scott-Morriss stole the headlines for the Essex side.
Shrimpers boss, Kevin Maher, was delighted with his side’s character and spirit to get back into the game after falling behind at the beginning of extra-time and will now go on to face Oldham Athletic at Wembley Stadium at the beginning of June.
“Everyone deserves so much credit to get us in this position, it seemed like it was dead and buried at the end but you shouldn’t be surprised that these players have gone and done it again.
“I watched most of it, I couldn’t watch the last one. I think I was watching the guys in the director’s box to see their reaction. It was just elation that it went in.”
STAT ATTACK
Forest Green Rovers 2 (Inniss 62, 95) Southend United 2 (Goodliffe 54, Bridge 117)
Forest Green Rovers (4-3-3): Cann 7; Long 6, Inniss 8, Moore-Taylor 8, Robson 7; McCann 7, May 6 (Bunker 118), Sercombe 7; McAllister 7 (Knowles 113), Quigley 6 (Cardwell 90, 7), Garrick 7 (Osadebe 90, 7).
Subs not used: Searle, Doidge, Jenks.
Southend United (4-2-3-1): Hayes 6; Scott-Morriss 7, Taylor 6, Goodliffe 9, Ralph 6; Coker 7 (Miley 67, 6), Husin 7 (Bridge 82, 6); Kendall 6 (Bonne 59, 6), Appiah-Forson 7, Chambers-Parillon 6 (Walker 95); Hopper 6 (Gubbins 106, 6).
Subs not used: Jaakola, Wind.
Half time: Forest Green Rovers 0-0 Southend United
Referee: David Rock
Star man: Ben Goodliffe (Southend United, centre-back)
Attendance: 3937 (751 away)
Rating: 4/5
Forest Green/ Southend
Shots on target: 2 6
Shots off target: 4 5
Corners: 3 10
Offside: 3 0
Fouls: 17 9
Yellow cards: 1 1
Red cards: 0 0
