Rovers assistant boss Marcus Stewart is anticipating Forest Green Rovers to employ a physical and direct approach in their bid to overturn a one-goal deficit in the second leg of the Vanarama Conference play-off semi-final at the Memorial Stadium on Sunday. Rovers hold a slender advantage after winning 1-0 in the first leg between the two sides at The New Lawn on Wednesday night. Stewart said: “We would expect Forest Green to come out and be as physical and direct as they generally are and we will have to stand up to that. Then off the back of that we will be looking to get our game going just like we did on Wednesday night. They will feel that they have an opportunity to get back in the tie and that’s how we are looking at it, too, because with only one goal between us it is still all to play for. We didn’t quite manage to score the goals to kill the game off the first leg because we were unlucky with a couple of chances and their goalkeeper also made some good saves. We have to go out and win the game because sitting back and inviting pressure is not really the way forward. We were really pleased with the way the players handled the mental side of things and I think it was a performance that showed how much they have learned from being under pressure in every game since the start of the season. They need to show the same mentality on Sunday because if they do that then we give ourselves a real chance.” Rovers, meanwhile, will be without Ellis Harrison, who serves a one-match ban after being sent off in the first leg, and are most likely to turn to either Nathan Blissett or Angelo Balanta to partner Matty Taylor, who scored his 20th goal of the season on Wednesday night. Stewart said: “Matty has done very well. He is a team player and that is why he has been in the team more often than not this season. He does the right thing off the ball when he is not getting opportunities or scoring goals. A striker is always going to be judged primarily on his goals but creating opportunities for others and defending from the front are just as important and he does all of those things very well. Matty kept doing those things when the goals weren’t coming earlier in the season and we knew that sooner or later that his goals-per-chance ratio would improve in the way it has done over the last few months.” Taken from the post. So then, the post thinks either Balanta or Blissett will replace Harrison. Do you think they are right and who would your choice be? .
Why not just play Jamie Lucas he's only two years younger then Harrison. Balanta and Blissett haven't really got going yet (I'm sure they will) so where's the harm
It will be Balanta or Blissett. They're hardly going to chuck a rookie like Lucas into a game like this. Reckon it will be Blissett...
Blissett hasn't been on top form recently but I still think he'll turn into an important player for us. I would definitely start him ahead of Balanta, who hasn't made much of an impression despite fitness issues etc.
I think Balanta will start. If he starts Blissett, we dont have a striker on the bench who can come on if we need it.
Thing is, we dont really want to mess around with formations etc. So do a straight swap, either Balanta or Blissett for Harrison. Or Leadbitter in at RW, move Gosling over to LW and move Monkhouse up to join Taylor. Thats another option and keeps the same formation. But its a lot of swapping and changing. Where is this new winger we have? been on the bench a few times but yet to show what he can do. Seems a bit of a waste to me! Will he start out wide moving Monkhouse up top? Good thing is, FGR wont know until about an hour till kick off what DC has done to replase Harrison.
It was such a good team performance the other night I'm not worried. I'm sure DC will have a plan that works. More of the same and FGR will be like rabbits in the headlights again and we'll win. Most of the team have chipped in with a goal, the defence has been brilliant and FGR couldn't deal with our midfield. We just need to keep 11 players on the pitch and we'll be fine.
