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Forest Green preview - A look at our final away trip of the 21/22 season

28 April 2022



Town make the long journey to Gloucestershire this weekend for their final away fixture of the 2021/22 season.


And a tough encounter lies ahead as they square off against Forest Green Rovers, who secured promotion to League One last weekend.

Our opponents

Rovers are top of League Two currently, as they have been for the vast majority of the season.
However, after building up a healthy cushion over the first half of the season, Saturday's hosts are now in a straight fight with Exeter City for the title, holding the Grecians at bay only on goal difference with two games remaining.

On home turf Rovers have taken 46 points from 22 games, recording 14 wins and have conceded just 15 goals.

Previous meetings

Town will be aiming to secure their first win over Rovers at the fourth attempt, having been defeated in each meeting between the two sides so far.

Back in December they were defeated 4-1, with a Lloyd Kerry effort a consolation after strikes from Jack Aitchison, Nicky Cadden, Jamille Matt and Matt Stevens.

In 2020/21 a Jamille Matt goal on the hour mark was enough to earn Forest Green a 1-0 win at The Envirovent Stadium before goals from Chris Stokes and Kane Wilson were enough for a 2-1 victory at The New Lawn.

Ones to Watch

Rovers saw a number of key players selected in the League Two team of the season that was announced last weekend.

Unsurprisingly, striker Matt Stevens (with 23 goals) was selected as was winger Nicky Cadden, having another productive season with six goals and 12 assists. Jamille Matt was perhaps unlikely to miss out having struck 18 times.

Full-back Kane Wilson received the League Two player of the season honour, having shone this season with 13 assists.

With top-scorer Stevens out through injury there will be a familiar name in attack with former-Town loanee Josh March potentially partnering Matt in attack.

The man in charge

Rob Edwards is the man opposite Simon Weaver in the dugout, having taken charge in the summer following the departure of Mark Cooper. It is Edwards first managerial position having previously held a number of coaching roles and he was been awarded the manager of the year accolade.

Edwards made over 200 appearances in his playing career, most notably for Wolves for whom he made a century of appearances.

Recent history

This is the fifth consecutive season that Rovers, who became the world's first vegan club in 2015, are competing at this level.

A non-league club for virtually all of their existence since being founded in 1889, fortunes were turned around following investment from Dale Vince and after near misses in 2015 and 2016, the club earned promotion to the Football League in 2017.

They reached the League Two playoffs in both the 2018/19 and 2020/21 seasons, being defeated at the semi-final stage on both occasions before securing promotion a week ago.
Team news

Simon Weaver will be without the services of Mark Oxley, Lewis Page, Josh Falkingham, Brahima Diarra, Lewis Richards, Ryan Fallowfield, Will Smith and Lloyd Kerry for the trip south but thankfully the win against Carlisle also resulted in no new injuries.

#ProudToBeTown 
 

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