Forest Green Rovers manager Robbie Savage admitted his team were outplayed in their 2-0 loss to Southend United at Roots Hall on Saturday. From the outset, the Rovers struggled to gain any foothold in the game and failed to match Southend’s intensity throughout the 90 minutes.
“They were the better team by a mile today and could have scored more,” Savage said after the match. “We were lacklustre, showed no fight for second balls, and our backline dropped too deep, which left us unable to push forward effectively.”
Southend took an early lead within three minutes due to a well-placed corner. James Golding got free to head the ball over the line following a frantic goalmouth scramble. Savage expressed frustration at the defensive lapse, pointing out: “We work on defending set pieces but he had a free header.”
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Late in the second half, Southend doubled their advantage from another corner. Although the initial cross was cleared, a fast cross whipped in from wide found Gus Scott Morriss unmarked at the back post, who headed home confidently.
“We left two players unmarked at the back post despite knowing Scott-Morriss was dangerous,” said Savage. “That lack of awareness and poor decision-making cost us dearly.”
The Forest Green boss also touched upon the team’s attitude: “If you can’t fight and show desire, you deserve to lose. We didn’t deserve anything today.”
Following the final whistle, tensions flared briefly between some players and the traveling fans, with frustration clearly running high. Savage acknowledged this frustration, saying, “There will be one or two who are upset. I understand that and will be examining the team’s collective performance closely.”
Serving the last game of a suspension, Savage watched from the director’s box but insisted his absence from the technical area was not a major factor. “Desire has to be the biggest focus moving forward,” he added.
On a positive note, substitute Jayden Clarke showed promise when deployed in an unfamiliar defensive midfield role. “He adapted well and brought some forward thinking to the game. I thought he was positive,” said Savage.
Southend United’s solid performance coupled with Forest Green’s lack of intensity means the Rovers face a challenging run ahead if they hope to improve results away from home.