Forest Green Rovers manager Robbie Savage hailed his team’s impressive 4-0 victory over Brackley Town on Good Friday, highlighting the momentum that could push them into fifth place and secure a home play-off quarter-final.
The match-changing moment came late in the first half when Brackley’s Zak Brown received a second yellow card, reducing his side to ten men. Moments later, Forest Green capitalized with a goal from D’Mani Mellor, marking his first home goal. The second half saw further dominance with goals from Kyle McAllister, Jili Buyabu, and a spectacular long-range strike from Laurent Mendy.
Savage praised his squad’s recent form, stating, “We’ve now won five of our last seven, kept another clean sheet, and scored eight goals in two games. Mendy’s and Kyle’s goals were outstanding — this was a well-deserved 4-0 win.”
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The manager also shared his sights on surpassing last season’s point total. “We’re currently on 74 points compared to 75 at this stage last season. If we beat Truro, we’ll have a better tally than last year.”
The sending off of Brown was pivotal. “Brackley had a strong defensive structure, and as a part-time side, they made it tough. The red card changed the game and allowed us to exploit our movement and rotations in the second half.”
The team’s fluidity was on full display through Nick Haughton’s remarkable performance, delivering three assists. After the opening goal, Haughton’s quick feet set up Kyle McAllister’s stunning strike into the top corner. Later, his clever pass enabled Jili Buyabu to score, completing his hat trick of assists.
Savage lauded Haughton’s creativity and teamwork: “Nick’s three assists show his quality; he joked about playing 90 minutes, but now he needs to bring that level consistently.”
Finally, Laurent Mendy sealed the emphatic win with a thundering 25-yard shot in the dying minutes—a goal that recaptured the confidence of the centre-back after recent interest and distractions.
Savage concluded, “This is the flair and entertainment we want. Seeing Mendy score like that, it’s a statement. We’re building something special here.”
Forest Green Rovers line-up: Isted; Knowles (Ahmed 80), Mendy, Kanu (Moore-Taylor 75), Kengni (Campbell 46); Nwoko (Babalola 62), Clarke (Robson 80), McAllister, Haughton, Buyabu; Mellor. Subs not used: Pagel, Mingi.
Brackley Town line-up: Rhone; Elliott-Wheeler (Byrne 63), Morrison, Dean, Lilly, Roberts; Tripp; Pollock, Brown; Lowe, Campbell (Harratt 28). Subs not used: Maxted, Calder, Nottingham, Worby, Hall.
Referee: Craig Hicks
Attendance: 2,095 (108 away)