As the Rovers attempted to overcome the resolute Forest Green Rovers at the Eco-Power Stadium, Grant McCann acknowledged that his team needed to act with greater urgency.
Rovers controlled the ball for most of the first half, but they found it difficult to penetrate the opposition, who sat deep and welcomed the pressure.
However, following McCann’s halftime reminder to move the ball more swiftly, Rovers secured a 2-0 victory with to goals from Luke Molyneux and Richard Keogh, a senior Forest Green defender, who also scored an own goal.
McCann stated, “I felt like we got into some good areas in the first half, but we just didn’t move the ball as quickly as I’d like.”
“The guys should take chances with the ball and create opportunities, but I felt like we were a little too slow when it came to ball possession,”
“We stepped it up in the second half. Jamie Sterry had a terrific run and cross, and Mols scored a fantastic goal in between the posts.
“It was just slow in the latter third, even if the build-up had been solid. At halftime, I told the boys that they needed to shift up and move from third to fifth to score against these guys because they would rapidly regain their form and defend their box.
“Unlocking them always required a little cunning, and thankfully we had that.”
McCann was happy to see his team record a clean sheet at home for the third time in a row.
It’s always convenient to have, he remarked. “This season, we haven’t had enough of them, but we completed our assignment on this one.
And we got the opportunity to somewhat reenergize the squad by getting some of the lads off the bench who have been waiting for their opportunity.”
