By Chris Latham
Forest Green maintained their impressive form as they overcame Bristol Rovers 2-0 in the second round of the Gloucestershire County Cup on Sunday in a hotly contested match.
Goals from Jones and Boyd saw Forest Green hold their nerve to score twice late on and advance to the Quarter Finals, as the two highest-ranked teams in the competition came head-to-head.
The two sides will meet again in a fortnight’s time in the league and it’s in the South-West Women’s Premier Division that Forest Green Rovers have really made a name for themselves this year.
Forest Green sit top of the table as they approach the halfway mark in their season, having scored the most goals of any team and conceded the fewest.
As head coach Tom Needham takes his FGR team back on the road next Sunday they will face the latest in a long line of challenges awaiting them as they come up against promotion rivals Bishops Lydeard.
The coveted single promotion place is still within reach of a number of teams capable of winning the title and it’s for this reason that it is too early to get carried away or draw too many conclusions. But with all that said, so far, FGR have tended to have the answers to the questions posed of them.
The way the team approach games with positivity and enjoyment, and apply themselves with an unquestionable work rate, has rightly endeared them to the FGR fan base which seems to grow week on week.
It’s the growing fanbase which could end up playing into Forest Greens favour too by being the fabled 12th player. FGR were handed an opening sequence that means their season has been front loaded with away fixtures.
If FGR can continue to impress at home, as they did on Sunday against Bristol Rovers, there is every chance that Hartpury could become the cliched ‘fortress’ and give them the edge over the second half of the season.
