Ambassador Match Reports 19-20

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FGR vs Exeter by, our ambassador at Archway

On New Year’s Day, Forest Green met third-placed Exeter at the New Lawn. FGR were fifth in the table, after victory over Macclesfield broke a run of ten games without a win.

The match kicked off with both sets of fans in full voice. But it couldn’t have been a worse start for FGR: After just five minutes, Nigel Atagana’s shot rolled into the bottom right hand corner to put Exeter ahead. Rovers were a little unlucky to concede; with everyone surrounding the ball, goalkeeper, Adam Smith, didn’t see the shot coming until it was too late.

The rest of the first half was very quiet, with Forest Green having the majority of possession but playing too many high balls over the top to lone striker, Matty Stevens, who was struggling to beat the Exeter defence. Whenever the ball went out to Liam Shephard on the right, he took defenders on and made things happen – but this tactic was under-used.
Right at the end of the half, FGR had their best opportunity when Shepherd worked a cross in from the right. Former Forest Green keeper, Jonny Maxted, punched the ball away - but only as far as Junior Mondal, who struck the volley perfectly, only for Maxted to make an excellent diving save.

Just moments into the second half; there was drama as Exeter goal-scorer, Atangana, was sent off for a high-footed challenge on Carl Winchester. The home crowd roared into life, as they realised what a great chance their team had to get back into the game and almost straight away the players responded - Liam Kitching’s header glancing just wide. Then in the 57th minute, substitute Jack Aitchison made a great run into the Exeter box and was taken down by Aaron Martin. Liam Shephard stepped up to take the resulting penalty and struck the ball well - but Maxted made a good save to deny FGR an equaliser.

Rovers continued to apply the pressure and ten minutes later, a shot from Winchester was deflected and Maxted made another good save. A minute later, Mondal had another shot saved by Maxted. Then in the 74th minute, Winchester shot from outside the box and Maxted could only push it out to a stretching Ebou Adams, but the rebound went wide. Five minutes from time, Exeter forward, Ryan Bowman, ran through on goal and threw himself to the floor. It was a clear dive and - to the joy FGR fans’ joy - he was booked. Forest Green couldn’t create any late opportunities and the game ended FGR 0-1 Exeter.

Despite losing, Rovers played well in the second half and showed real fighting spirit. Due to other results, both teams were left in the exact same positions they had started the day in.

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...and here is Cam Hoffman's vlog of the game

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=l0BJDXG ... UEKTHsvlQY

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This was the match, the rollercoaster of emotion away against Mansfield.

Cam presents his vlog - if you don't watch it all listen to the last 3 minutes. After leading 3-2, it's all very sad, almost defeatist when Mansfield equalise.

But then, just see the delight, the raw passion and exhilaration when Collins scores the winner.
4-3 to FGR

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MGH2R_a ... pp=desktop

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Frustrating defeat to Salford, but lots of passion as usual from Cam

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fj7o_3a ... pp=desktop

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Another disappointing loss to Macclesfield, but more enthusiasm from Cam and his mate Thomas

Here's the vlog

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8Rj8-ss ... pp=desktop

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Match Report on CARLISLE at home from Jordon from Avening school

“A very cold Tuesday night match got underway on the referees whistle. FGR were given a free kick on 3 minutes that was kicked out by Carlisle for a corner. Corner was taken, fumble in the box but no goal.
2 minutes later a shot by FGR’s number 15, R Hall from just outside the box but its too wide.
Another free kick to FGR on 8 minutes for a foul. A shot 1 minute later lands straight in the goalkeepers hands.
A shot by number 10, A Collins, on 13 minutes but he missed. An excellent build up of play to lead to the shot!
On 21 minutes a great save by FGR’s goalie, C Logan, to stop an almost certain goal.
1 Minute later Carlisle take the lead. Unfortunate for FGR as we have had most of the play and possession. 0-1 To Carlisle.
On 25 minutes FGR gave away possession and a fabulous shot by Carlisle finds the top right corner of the goal. 0-2.
2 minutes later a shot by our R Hall forces a save by their goalie and we have a corner. The corner came off the head of a Carlisle player and into the hands of their goalkeeper.
The clock is now on 30 minutes and a FGR shot by R Hall again is blocked and out for a throw in.
1 minute later and a pass through and into the goal mouth can’t connect with a player to find the back of the net. So close!
A shot from FGR on 33 minutes goes past the left hand side of the goal.

The referee blows the whistle for half time.

A penalty is awarded to Carlisle, at the start of the second half, for a bad challenge. Carlisle’s number 7, N. Thomas steps up and he scores. 0-3. This isn’t FGR’s evening.
A mis-communication between 2 of our players and Carlisle suddenly find themselves in on goal. Their first shot was saved, they had another attempt that hit the post and then the third shot hit our player and went out for a corner.
The corner is in the box, another mad scramble and Carlisle’s number 23, J. Kayode has scored. 0-4.
On 54 minutes a good save by C Logan to stop another possible goal.
57 Minutes things were slowly looking like they were going our way. We were awarded a penalty for a player being brought down in the box. Number 7, C. Winchester, steps up, shoots and it rebounds off of the goalkeeper and into the back of the net. 1-4.
64 Minutes, free kick to Carlisle for an unfair challenge but they wasted the opportunity.
On 65 minutes there’s a corner to Carlisle, another mad scramble and a shot but it thankfully goes high and wide.
Another shot from Carlisle on the 76th minute but it is wide of the left post.
Yellow card for FGR’s number 14, E. Adams for a very nasty challenge.
Free kick awarded and taken, tried to be cleared by FGR but the wind took it and forced a corner.
Corner taken but curled around the far post and out of play.
87 minutes and a corner for FGR, cleared away briefly. Shot fired but sadly saved.
90th minute cross in from FGR but goalie grabs it and gets injured. However, he manages to get back up and complete the match.
Shot in the 93rd minute from FGR in a 1 on 1 situation but saved by the goalkeeper. That was our final shot and summed up the way our evening went.

Disappointing result but the players need us to boost their spirits! Bring on the next game.
Come on you Rovers!!!!

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FGR V Carlisle by Evie (Rednock)

9:30 A cold night drew to a close with a sad, unfortunate loss at home: a realisation kicked in we had been defeated again, the gutted players walked off with their heads down. We so needed a win, especially at home. Top of the table down to higher mid, OH DEAR!

A hat-trick from Nathan Thomas had secured the visitor’s a win and they headed off back north feeling on top of the world.


Thomas stuck twice within the first half leaving frustrated home fans 2-0 down at half time. As the cold became freezing, the ball boys and girls got their hot drinks and food to warm then up.It could only get better, they thought.


The start of the second half went bad to worse for the home fans when once again Thomas shot and scored. Then soon later Carlisle were 4-0 up! Then when we thought it was all over, Forest green had a chance to edge towards Carlisle goals, unfortunately for the visitors Adam Collins couldn’t clear the ball away and a unlucky deflection took FGR one goal up. Winchester was the one to step up to the penalty Spot and strike and score. With the fourth official signing 5 mins added time the Matty Stevens thought he had his chance when it was one to one however, Adam Collins denied frustrated Stevens.

The final whistle blew and gutted players and fans came to the realisation of the loss. Neither new players or our existing ones couldn’t help us edge closer to a equaliser.

Let’s keep up the support, we can emerge from this long blip…perhaps the home match at home to Walsall will be the day?


Come on you Rovers !!!

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FGR Vs. Walsall
By Dylan ( ARCHWAY )

On a beautiful winter’s day, Forest Green met Walsall at the New Lawn. Both teams were in bad form, as Walsall had lost their previous three and Rovers had only one point from their last five league matches.

As the game kicked off, the South Stand were in full voice. The first 25 minutes or so were quiet, with not much action. Even though Forest Green had the majority of the ball, they could not carve out a real opportunity. The first chance came to Walsall when they won a freekick midway through the FGR half. Rory Holden whipped the ball in towards the back post, where it met the foot of Nathan Sheron who smashed it into the side netting. After that missed opportunity, the game roared into life. Rovers got their best opportunity of the half when Ebou Adams’ shot was blocked away for a corner. Odin Bailey crossed the ball in hard and low. It met the foot of Josh March, who struck it against the post and then a scramble on the edge of the six yard box ended with ball being cleared off the line.

FGR continued to counter against the Walsall defence - with March and Jack Aitchison working well together - but could not find the back of the net. In first half injury time, Walsall won a corner. But as they were about to take it, the referee blew the whistle for half time because they were taking too long!

Just five minutes into the second half, disaster struck Rovers as Liam Dawson gave away a silly penalty. Josh Gordon stepped up to take it for Walsall. FGR keeper, Conrad Logan got a hand to the ball - but not enough to stop it hitting the back of the net, much to the delight of the travelling supporters.

Forest Green tried to respond, with Chris Stokes’ header going across the face of goal and substitute Aaron Collins hitting one just wide. In the 70th minute, George Williams got a warm welcome back onto the pitch after getting injured in the fourth minute of the first game of the season. But just three minutes later, Walsall launched a counter-attack: As Wesley McDonald got into the box, Conrad Logan came flying out and left space for McDonald to double Walsall’s lead.
Rovers continued the pressure to try and find a way back into the game: Bailey’s cross fell to the feet of March in the 86th minute, which he directed into the back of the net. But there would be no equaliser, despite three late shots on target.

The game finished FGR 1-2 Walsall, which meant Walsall ended their losing streak and FGR slip to 10th as their poor form continued.

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Walsall Match report 

Hi my name is Wilf Doble and I am Forest Green’s ambassador for Marling Secondary School and this is my match report for the Walsall game.

I was up to the New Lawn really early to meet Rene and Markus, German supporters who had travelled from the Allgau in the south of Germany to come and watch a match. They waved the big flags at the start of the game as the teams came out.  Well done also to our mascot for the day who had come with his dad all the way from Turin to see the game.

Rovers were really unlucky in the game. We got to see our new players, Conrad Logan, Odin Bailey, Rob Hall, Chris Stokes and Josh March all get some good game time and they looked really confident.  I really liked seeing Rob Hall go for goal at every opportunity. He was unlucky though, as Walsall’s defence was at its best.

The first goal came from a penalty in the 52nd minute. A bold decision from the referee that most of the home support disagreed with.  The second goal came in the 73rd minute from a defensive error which McDonald took full advantage of. It was hard to see us coming back from that, but Rovers never gave up and it was great to see the team press on and create opportunities, getting a goal in the 87th minute.  It was a rare conversion of a corner, from a header from Collins from the right hand side of the box to the top left corner. The comeback was on, but sadly we ran out of time. 

Overall I felt that it was quite an evenly matched game, the result maybe didn’t reflect Rovers’ ‘never give up’ attitude. 

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Here's Cam's latest blog from the eventful game against Port Vale

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=byGKfn- ... k0RGJpRjZQ

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Our latest report from Isabelle, our ambassador at Nympsfield

Forest Green Rovers welcomed Port Vale to the New Lawn on a very cold evening. Rovers started very brightly and it looked like they were desperate to end their losing home run.

In the first 10 minutes Rovers came forward with some pressure threatening to score. In the 8th minute a header by Bailey after a good move went just past the post and it should have been 1-0. Rovers were putting on pressure but a counter attack by Port Vale lead to a clearance off the line by a Rovers defender in the 12th minute.
Then after the ball went out for a corner Port Vale scored after Rovers couldn't clear the ball.

A few minutes later Bailey hobbled off with an injury after a nasty challenge and was replaced by Aitchson.
With a mistake and giving the ball away in our own half we gifted the Vale striker a one on one with our keeper which he put to bed to make it 2-0 to the visitors.

Early in the second half Vale were happy to sit back with Rovers not creating many chances. As Rovers brightened up they started to put pressure on Vale with a shot just over the bar in the 63rd minute. Then later on in the 68th minute Adams tripped a Port Vale player in the Rovers penalty area making it 3-0.

Port Vale got a taste of their own medicine with a penalty against them whem Adams was bundled over in the Vale penalty area making it 1-3. With Rovers coming forward in the last few minutes it resulted in a red card for Port Vale with a nasty challenge against Clark.

With Port Vale down to 10 men a ball I’d played into the box and a great header by Winchester to make it 2-3. Another red card for a Vale player made for a frantic finish but too little too late for the home side with the match ending 2-3 to the visitors.

[GETCARTER]

I enjoy these reports very much - well done to all. It just shows you that there are articulated youngsters in our community who have great literary skills, able to convey information to others. Its easy to knock today's pupils, but these prove that education really is working in our schools.

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I enjoy these reports very much - well done to all. It just shows you that there are articulated youngsters in our community who have great literary skills, able to convey information to others. Its easy to knock today's pupils, but these prove that education really is working in our schools.

Thanks for your comment, the ambassadors ( and their parents/school) love to receive favourable feedback on their reports.

[The Old TomCat]

I enjoy these reports very much - well done to all. It just shows you that there are articulated youngsters in our community who have great literary skills, able to convey information to others. Its easy to knock today's pupils, but these prove that education really is working in our schools.

Thanks for your comment, the ambassadors ( and their parents/school) love to receive favourable feedback on their reports.

All the reports thus far have been excellent and I compliment each and every one of the young reporters.
Alas this site does not have a LIKE button for me to give them the thumbs up. I wish it did.

[Greeners]

Hi
I hope someone has done something to preserve the Ambassadors' reports for the new platform.