Robbie Savage tore into his Forest Green Rovers players after a humiliating Valentine’s Day thrashing by Carlisle United, branding the performance a “disgrace” in a lacklustre performance.
Goals from Stephen Wearne and Morgan Feeney before David Ajiboye’s wonder goal in the first-half paid dividends for Mark Hughes’s side before Rovers rallied after the break through Jay Mingi.
Savage was extremely disappointed with the opening 45 minutes of the game. On how it panned out, he said: “It was a disgrace, individuals should have a look at themselves. I try and protect players and I will, but I wasn’t good enough first-half with my selection of players, I will take accountability for that. The second-half shows we can get a reaction, but the first-half, some of those performances I have never witnessed like that before.”
Despite the second-half showing from the Gloucestershire side, Savage felt the damage was already done.
“Too late, it is easy to play at 3-0 down with no pressure. If they got the second, we could have got a third, but they managed the game really well towards the end, but we had numerous chances. It is the story of our season.”
Carlisle opened the scoring with their first attack of the game. Harry Isted’s slow forward pass saw Luke Armstrong pick the pocket of the sleeping Abraham Kanu to allow Wearne in for an early opener.
United doubled their lead after 22 minutes when Elliot Embleton’s far-post cross was flicked on towards Feeney for an incredibly simple header past Isted.
The best of the bunch was added by Ajiboye 30 minutes into the game when his solo run from beyond the halfway line was unable to be defended by Rovers to send the Cumbrians into a frenzy.
Rovers’ second-half pressure paid off after 52 minutes when Mingi was found unmarked in the box after a well delivered free-kick nestled into the Stockport loanee’s path.
Pic: Peter Barnes
Carlisle boss Hughes was left to wax lyrical over Ajiboye’s individually brilliant goal, he said: “It was absolutely outstanding, there was a point as he was getting towards the penalty area, I think everybody was screaming to pass it,” Hughes said on the sumptuous strike from the right-winger. “Thankfully he didn’t hear us and it was an outstanding goal for him and the team; I thought the first-half performance was capped off by that goal.”
Forest Green Rovers 1 (Mingi 52)
Carlisle United 3 (Wearne 11, Feeney 22, Ajiboye 30)
Player ratings out of 10
Forest Green Rovers (4-2-3-1): Isted 4; Ahmed 5 (Knowles 57, 6), Mendy 5, Kanu 4 (Mingi 46, 7), Buyabu 5; Campbell 7, Nwoko 5; McAllister 7, Haughton 5 (Osude 26, 7), Clarke 5 (Kircough 46 6); Rees 5.
Subs not used: Pagel, Kengni, Babalola
Carlisle United (4-2-3-1): Breeze 6; Williams 6 (Harper 86), Mugabi 7, Feeney 7, Galvin 7; Gilliead 7, Macadam 6; Ajiboye 8 (Parker 87), Wearne 7 (Ellis 78), Embleton 7 (Thomas 65, 6); Armstrong 7.
Subs not used: Mair, Wyke, Conn-Clarke.
Half-time: Forest Green Rovers 0-3 Carlisle United.
Referee: Carl Brook.
Star man: David Ajiboye (Carlisle United, right-winger)
Attendance: 2353 (431)
Rating: 4/5
Match statistics: FGR/ CU
Shots on target: 6 / 4
Shots off target: 9 / 3
Corners: 8 /1
Offside: 2 / 0
Fouls: 10 /14
Yellow cards: 2/3
Red cards: 0/0
