Forest Green boss Robbie Savage could recall striker Jose Marquez after his side missed a raft of opportunities in an agonising 3-1 defeat to Boston United.
Marquez has been in red-hot form on loan at fellow National League outfit Worthing, scoring three goals in five starts, including the winner against Hartlepool on Saturday.
Despite carving out chance after chance against Boston, Rovers were wasteful in front of goal, with the horror highlight seeing D’Mani Mellor inexplicably stooping to head the ball up and over a gaping net when scoring looked easier.
Rovers are lacking an ice-cold finisher following the long-term injury to Ricardo Rees, leaving Savage plenty to ponder. He said: “Do we look to bring Jose (Marquez) back now from his loan because he’s got three goals?
“We’ve got people who are trying, but for some reason, you know, we haven’t got somebody right now who can put the ball in the back of the net in those areas. Ricardo (Rees) was, but he’s got injured. We’ve had D’Mani who’s had two great chances. They’re trying, they’re getting in the positions.”
In spite of the horror Mellor miss, Savage refused to throw his striker under the proverbial bus.
“Nobody intends to miss,” said the Rovers’ boss. “I think somebody got a touch on it which put D (D’Mani Mellor) off, but it’s under the bar. Nobody intends to do that. Of course, everybody wants to score, but I don’t know how it’s been missed – he’s got to score.”
Rovers had appeared to be turning the corner following an undefeated three-game sequence, including a point at Carlisle in midweek, but despite bossing the first half, the inability to put the ball in the back of the net returned to haunt them as a catalogue of chances went begging.
Savage sighed: “Same old story of this group. Go a goal down early, come back straight away and then create so many chances.
“You give the lads the opportunity to score with the work we’ve done on the training ground, the coaches, and then if you keep consistently missing big chances, but their keeper kept pulling off unbelievable saves.
“The game should have been dead and buried at half-time. Anybody who was here saw that they’ve had the first attack, goal. They could have scored another one a couple of seconds into the second half, but the game should be over at half-time.
“Listen, it’s the same old story. A team that creates chances, a team that consistently misses chances, the game should be over.
“I’m usually very talkative, but again, same thing. And the stats will say the same old thing like they did the other day. More shots, more everything. But if you don’t take your chances, that’s what happens.”
With Rovers’ defence looking watertight of late, Savage cut a perplexed figure as his rearguard suffered a miserable afternoon.
“The goals are so poor. You know, my centre-half wants to fight with the striker instead of heading the ball, he goes straight through and scores.
“Their centre-forward led the line exceptionally well, got stuck in, you know, gave our centre-halves a hard time, and that was a poor defensive performance, as good as we’ve been.
“I never moan about penalties, but again Gabe’s (Kircough) got the wrong side. He’s the favourite to win the ball and the centre-forward nudged him off the ball, used his strength and then looks like a push. I never moan about how he’s given it and he scored it, but again, so frustrating.
“Listen, they could have scored a couple more in the second half. Let’s be totally honest. Missed a chance from six yards. He has to score one-on-one, where I think it was a great block from Phil (Filozofe Mabete), but the game should be over first half and I think the crowd saw that.”
Despite deficiencies, Savage was fulsome in his praise for the Pilgrims.
“Boston were good. They were putting the blocks on the line. The keeper might have got man of the match as well.
“It’s individuals. You know, when you’re one-on-one, you’ve got to make the right decision. You know, the decision should have been to lift it over the goalie, not slide it. The game should have been over before they got their second goal.”
Savage felt his side created enough to win the game and, despite the loss, he insisted the crowd stuck by the team, but Boston striker Cursons was the mitigating factor in the loss.
“I’ve just seen a centre-forward for them dominating the game and let’s be totally honest, he was the difference. However, it’s incredible to think, really, the amount of chances this team creates and I think the crowd saw that and stuck with them. We’ve got to keep working. It’s as simple as that. Because it’s a great group and a great bunch of lads.
“And again, it’s on me. It’s on me to make this team take the chances and the coaching staff.
“You know, I take full responsibility for my team not taking their chances. I’m the manager. You know, I pick the players in those positions.”
Earlier, Rovers were caught with their socks well and truly rolled down on 44 seconds – Tom Cursons waltzing through to comfortably roll the ball beyond Ethan Ross. Two minutes later Rovers netted parity through Jayden Clarke – fizzing the ball home from the edge of the box. A minute later Kyle McAllister sliced Boston open and D’Mani Mellor’s strike over Louis Chadwick was scooped off the line by the retreating Jake Rooney.
Chadwick’s wonder save from point-blank range denied Tate Campbell Rovers’ second on 19 minutes after Nicholas Pozo had his pocket picked by the lively Sean Etaluku. Clarke rattled the Boston bar on 26 minutes from 35 yards – his howitzer beating Chadwick all ends up.
A minute into the restart Mellor inexplicably scooped his header over an open goal after McAllister’s dink and Kelly’s cross opened up a guilt edged chance.
Boston responded and profited on 51 minutes. Kircough was adjudged to have touched Cursons in the box, the Boston striker grabbing his second as he sent Ross the wrong way from the resultant penalty. Only a superb recovery tackle from Mabete denied Lennon Wheeldon the opportunity to push Boston further ahead.
Rovers looked for parity, but Chadwick’s reactions denied Mabete from short range. Wheeldon was a smidge from making it 3-1 to Boston with 22 minutes left on the clock, just failing to get enough purchase on a cross into the danger zone. Wheeldon found his range with 15 minutes left – turning the ball in from a Georgie Gent corner.
Forest Green Rovers: (4-2-3-1) Ross 6; Abrefa 6 (Pemberton 61, 6), Mabete 6, Kircough 5, Sass 6 (Patrick 76, 6); Clarke 8, Campbell 6 (Fearon 61, 6) ; Etaluku 7, Kelly 6 (Haughton 55, 6 ), McAllister 7; Mellor 5 (Rijks 55, 6)
Subs not used: McNicholas, Ewing
Boston: (4-3-3) Chadwick; Teale (Sachdev 72), Grimes, Rooney, Gent; Pozo (Sutton 59), Holohan, Agyemang; Aboh (Bostock 88), Cursons (John Lewis 85), Wheeldon.
Subs not used: Faxon, Canavan, McBride,
Star man: (Jayden Clarke- Forest Green, holding midfielder).
