After sealing a play-off spot, Forest Green turned preparation into theatre as unconventional boss Robbie Savage ordered a full penalty shootout rehearsal in front of their own fans.
With supporters jeering as “away” fans, Rovers held their nerve to score five from five.
Earlier, Rovers confirmed their place in the play-offs with a comprehensive victory over already relegated Braintree Town.
Goals from D’Mani Mellor, Tom Knowles and Nick Haughton secured a 3–1 victory over a spirited Braintree side, who had restored parity after the break through Lewis Walker.
Following the match, Savage explained the thinking behind the penalty shootout exercise: “The penalties after, the crowd here were brilliant. I said to them; ‘make sure you try to put our players off, and they did. I think some took it a little bit personally, but I didn’t tell the players that our own fans are going to put us off, but we have to do that. We might have to go to penalties in the play-offs. That war, which some of our players have never done, Mendy’s never done that before, and he was a bit nervous, but what a penalty. And again, the play-offs, five from five, that happened in the play- offs we will have a chance.”
With 26 new players through the door, Savage hailed the club turnaround: “Play-offs were the goal, 22 wins matches last season’s total, we’re scoring more goals, I think we’ve scored seven more goals than last season,” Savage said.
“In four weeks, we could be league players, that’s the goal, what an opportunity, let’s grasp it, let’s give everything on and off the pitch now to make sure we’re ready, and we give it our best because anybody can beat anybody in the play-offs.”
Earlier, Mellor should have opened the scoring inside two minutes, firing straight into Mason Terry’s shins after excellent work from Kyle McAllister and Knowles.
The impish Haughton then came agonisingly close to breaking the deadlock, his curling effort drifting inches wide of Terry’s far post.
Rovers continued to pile on the pressure. Knowles tested Terry again on 33 minutes, his superb strike tipped over by the Braintree keeper.
Braintree’s first real chance came with 10 minutes of the half remaining, but Walker blazed over.
Rovers’ dominance was finally rewarded in the 37th minute. McAllister unleashed a thunderous effort from 25 yards that crashed off the underside of the bar, allowing the alert Mellor to nod home the rebound.
Just before the break, Knowles nearly gifted Braintree an equaliser with a misplaced back pass that found Walker, but Harry Isted reacted sharply to bail him out.
Chay Cooper then fired wide in stoppage time as the visitors threatened late in the half.
The Iron continued their upward momentum and Walker levelled things up in 58 minutes. Seconds later Zavier Massiah-Edwards clipped the post.
Rovers regained their lead on 71 minutes – Knowles bundling home after McAllister’s fizzer was parried by Terry. Two minutes later Rovers were 3-1 up. Mellor’s endeavour and sublime pass allowed the clinical Haughton to pick his spot.
In a testing season, Iron boss Steve Pitt took positives in defeat: “We were the better side in the first half in my opinion, but conceded a poor goal from a defensive point of view. We didn’t take our chances and had some good chances in the first-half. Second-half we used the wind to our advantage and scored a really good well worked goal and undoubtedly the better side from the start of the second half onwards from the point we scored and we felt we could go on and win this and even when they scored against the run of play but they scored quickly thereafter and from there on in we were chasing the game.”
Forest Green: ( 3-5-1-1) Isted 7 ; Moore-Taylor 7(Nwoko 59, 6), Mingi 8, Mendy 9; Knowles 8 (Pemberton 81), Campbell 6 ( Rees 59,6), Clarke 7 (Harries 59,6 ), McAllister 7, Buyabu 6 (Kengni 59, 6); Haughton 8; Mellor 8
Subs not used: Pagel, Etaluku
Braintree: (4-2-3-1) Terry 6; Battrum 7, Francis-Clarke 7, Claridge 6, Clampin 6 (Omrore 42, 6 ); Dibley-Dias 6 (Harriott 79), Babic 6 (Vennings 79); Kamara 6 (Akinde 62, 6 ), Cooper 7, Massiiah-Edwards 6 (Okunowo 79); Walker 7
Subs not used: Hadi, Thorpe
Full-time: Forest Green 3 (Mellor 37, Knowles 71, Haughton 73 ) Braintree 1 (Walker 58)
Half time: Forest Green 1 Braintree 0
Referee: Dale Banes
Star man: ( Laurent Mendy – Forest Green, defender)
Attendance: 1,969
Rating: 4 /5
Match statistics
FGR/ BRAINTREE TOWN
Shots on target: 8 / 4
Shots off target: 2 / 1
Corners: 7/ 4
Offside: 1 / 0
Fouls: 12 / 9
Yellow cards: 1 / 1
Red cards: 0/0
