Forest Green boss Robbie Savage heaped praise on teenage sensation Jose Marquez after the striker delivered a sparkling display in Rovers’ 3-2 National League Cup group victory over Wolves U21s at The New Lawn.
The 19-year-old forward, who struck a hat-trick for Alvechurch at the weekend, was at the heart of everything positive for Rovers. He opened the scoring on the stroke of half-time before laying on goals for Isaac Moore and Harry Cardwell in the second period.
Savage, delighted with his academy product, insisted the youngster’s loan days are over. “Jose will be staying. Everybody wants him, I’ve had three or four managers on the phone today but at 19 years old, he’s now done enough. His loan ends on September 21, and so maybe he might not be involved at the weekend, but he won’t be going out on loan again.
“Tim Flowers (Alvechurch manager) has done great with him. But I think on that performance tonight, He’s one of our own. It’d be unfair of us now to send him out again, because for me, that performance tonight and the way he’s conducted himself, he’s a great kid.”
Marquez stole the headlines, but Savage lavished praise on Coventry City loanne Issac Moore, who captained Rovers for the night and chipped in with a goal: “You saw the running power of Isaac, that’s what we brought him in for,” Savage said.
“Maybe I’ve limited him in his performances because of the shape of the team even though he’s done okay as a six.
“We saw tonight, he was captain of the side, he’s a great kid and wants to learn and his performance was brilliant and the goal, the way he opened those legs and ran the length of the pitch was magnificent.
“He’s given me food for thought now, do I go with two eights and a six on Saturday? This game told me a lot.”
Pagel, whose saves underpinned the win, was described by Savage as producing “one of the saves of the season” in the first half. “At the end, he dived at the feet of the opponent. He could’ve got hurt there and he was brave.”
The manager also applauded Jayden Clarke for his creativity and delivery, James Balagiza for his midfield industry, and defensive duo Will Merritt and Harvey Bunker for their resilience.
Several academy products were involved in the matchday squad, with youth boss Yan Klukowski joining Savage on the bench. “What an experience for them,” Savage said. “Even the two boys, young Isaac and young Kieran, didn’t get on, but being in the first-team dressing room, seeing how players conduct themselves – what a learning experience.”
The victory keeps Rovers level with Boreham Wood at the top of Group B as Savage eyes silverware. Savage was in no mood to downplay the significance of the win. “It’s another win – that’s 11 games, eight wins, three draws in all competitions,” he said. “It’s a competition now, we want to win it.”
The competition’s regulations obliged Rovers to field four starters from their previous outing, but Neil Kengni, Kyle McAllister, Abraham Kanu and Tom Knowles were withdrawn almost immediately, lasting barely a minute.
Wolves dictated the tempo. On 16 minutes they came agonisingly close to taking the lead: Leo Lopes rose highest to meet a set-piece, his header kissing the bar before the rebound fell to Caden Voice. The midfielder’s fierce follow-up looked destined for the net, only for Fiachra Pagel to tip it onto the post with a superb reflex save.
Pagel would prove a busy man throughout the evening. He produced another excellent stop soon after, palming away an Ethan Sutherland strike from distance, before standing firm to deny Ty Barnett, who tried his luck from the edge of the area as Wolves turned the screw.
For much of the first half, Rovers found themselves pinned back, though they conjured their best move of the night against the run of play. Thomas Conteh slid in captain-for-the-night Isaac Moore, who squared neatly for Jose Marquez, but the forward scooped his effort over the crossbar – a rare chance spurned.
Arthur Nasta was finally called into serious action when Harvey Bunker unleashed a low skidder that forced the Wolves keeper into a sharp save.
Marquez thundered against the post from a Conteh cross as Rovers rallied in the dying embers of the first half. Marquez was at it again – getting a shot off from a tight angle, forcing Nasta to turn away for a corner. Marquez found his range from the resultant corner – rising highest to plant his header beyond Nasta from Jayden Clarke’s corner in first-half stoppage-time.
Rovers opened the second-half brightly. Clarke was inches away from rolling the ball into the bottom corner as Marquez played him in.
Marquez hit the base of the post for Rovers before Mateus Mane netted Wolves parity on 53 minutes. Mane was denied his second as Pagel got down well to block the Wolves attacker.
Rovers regained the lead on 62 minutes – Moore driving through midfield from deep in his own half to find Marquez who rolled the Rovers skipper in to strike past Nasta. Four minutes later Cardwell stroked home from a Marquez assist after a flowing move instigated by Moore.
Pagel was quick off his line to deny Makenzie Bradbury. Marquez was full of running -playing in Cardwell who spanked wide.
Dani Angel pulled a goal back for Wolves with three minutes to go. At the death, Pagel’s bravery denied Wolves a late goal.
Forest Green Rovers: Pagel; Kanu (Bonnick 1), Bunker, Knowles (Merrett 1), Kengni (Bamba 1); Moore, McAllister (Balazigi 1); Conteh (Aldridge 61), Marquez, Clarke; Cardwell.
Subs not used: Walsh, Hughes.
Wolves: Nasta; Ojinnaka (White 84), Okoduwa, Pond (Bradbury 46), Voice, Sutherland; Rawlings, Barnett (Ji 79); Mane, Lopes (Edozie 72); Holman (Angel 72).
Subs not used: Olagunju, Brooks.
