Latest Gloucestershire news to your inbox Join us here Thank you for subscribing See our privacy notice Invalid Email

Forest Green Rovers head coach Mark Cooper has admitted his players are psychologically “in a bad place” following their 2-1 defeat to 10-man Macclesfield Town.

Cooper’s side suffered their second successive defeat, and were made to rue a Josh March missed penalty in the second-half, as Macclesfield came back to win.

Rovers took the lead in the first-half when Carl Winchester struck from outside the box, scoring his second goal in three games.

However, the Silkmen were level on 74 minutes when Joe Ironside fired home and Arthur Gnahoua scored a stunning half-volley with just seven minutes to go.

Corey O’Keeffe was shown a straight red card for a professional foul on Aaron Collins in between the Macclesfield goals.

March won and took the penalty, with a chance to put Rovers 2-0 up at the start of the second-half, but saw his spot-kick saved well by Jonathan Mitchell.

“It’s been the story of our last 10 games. We’ve had so many opportunities to win games and not took them and then lost points because psychologically, we’re in a bad place, because we know we’re missing chances,” Cooper told the Forest Green website.

“It only takes a bit of luck to get a goal. We should be winning that game four or five-nil, without being disrespectful to Macclesfield. We were in complete control of the game. We miss a great chance before half-time to go 2-0 up, we miss the penalty to go 2-0 up. Aaron Collins goes clean through and it’s a horrendous tackle.

“But, again, the game is 60 or 70 minutes in, and we should be sat comfortably on the bench, but we’re not.

“It’s difficult not to talk about the chances because I think you have to tell the truth and that’s why we’re not winning games. We’re not scoring goals. Whatever combination of players, we’re just not hitting the back of the net.

“At some point, you have to take a bit of pride, personally, when you’re in front of the goal, whether it’s a chance from five yards out, or it’s a penalty, you have to make the net ripple. I’m questioning the pride.”

(Image: Forest Green Rovers FC)

Rovers made three new signings on Friday morning - Conrad Logan, Odin Bailey and Rob Hall – with all three starting at the Moss Rose Stadium.

Winchester scored with just 17 minutes on the clock to give Cooper’s men a perfect start at the League Two strugglers.

Jevani Brown had a glorious chance to double Forest Green’s tally, clean through on goal, but shot wide of Mitchell’s post.

March was brought down early into the second period, and had the chance from 12 yards to double the visitors’ lead, but Mitchell saved at full stretch.

Forest Green were made to pay for the penalty miss, when Ironside latched onto the end of some very good work from Ben Stephens, and fired past Logan to level the game.

However, it looked like it would be a tough final period of the game for the Silkmen when O’Keeffe was shown a straight red for a last man foul on Collins, who was racing through on goal.

It was Macclesfield who went onto score, with the goal of the afternoon going to Gnahoua, who flicked the ball up and produced a fantastic half-volleyed effort that beat Logan, and the game was completely turned around.

Rovers piled the pressure on the home side late on but Mark Kennedy’s team held on for his first victory as manager.

Cooper believes he got his game-plan “spot-on” but once again, it was the missed chances that Rovers were left to reflect on.

The Forest Green head coach has insisted he would have scored the penalty that March missed early in the second-half.

(Image: ©Thousand Word Media Ltd)

“The game-plan was spot on, in terms of how we played – how we attacked and how we defended – all I can say is, we should win the game three or four-nil,” Cooper said.

“It’s sounding like a broken record. You don’t want to keep highlighting the missed chances, but that’s the issue. I’ll get some stick for us losing the game, fine, but if we don’t score those chances, we won’t win a game of football.

“I would have scored a penalty, I know I would’ve scored that chance, because I’ve got pride in my work. I’d have smashed the back of the net, I would have put the ‘keeper in the back of the net as well. That’s what we need to start doing.

“The next penalty: I’m picking who takes it and I’m telling them how they’re going to take it from now on. This is how we’re going to take it and this is who is taking it.

“We didn’t defend it (the equaliser) well. But you can’t stop them having any chances in the game, they’re going to have a chance. But the game should be out of sight.

“We were tactically spot-on. To create that many chances, we must be doing something right.

“There is a lot of frustration, because we know we should be around the top of the league with the way we’ve played. There is just one ingredient missing, whoever has played. People will say certain players should be playing, but everyone’s played. The stats on the forward players we’ve got, they don’t make pretty reading.

“They’ve got to take pride now. Put the ball in the back of the net because that’s what they’re paid to do.

Cooper offered a brief update on Brown, who came off injured after missing a golden chance in the first-half.

“I think he pulled his hamstring when he pulled it past the post,” Cooper revealed.

“If you’re going to pull your hamstring, put it in the back of the net.”