The Valiants travel to Gloucestershire in search of our first win of the season against top of the table Forest Green Rovers. The hosts have won all four of their opening games including a 6-3 win in their most recent league game. We scored our first Sky Bet League Two goal against Stevenage last weekend earning another point as a result.
In the Dugout
Rob Edwards has begun his first season in charge of Forest Green spectacularly maintaining a 100% record after four games. The former Wolverhampton Wanderers centre back previously coached at Wolves including managing their under-23 side before taking over as head coach for England’s under-16s in 2020. He joined Forest Green as head coach in June of this year.
Rob Edwards on our recent results “They’ve been involved in tight games. They’re going to be a really tough nut to crack. They’ll be searching for that balance of looking to score but also keeping it tight at the back. They’ve had three or four really competitive games and Saturday will be no different”.
Man with the Armband
31-year-old striker Jamille Matt was appointed captain for the 2021/22 season after scoring 16 league goals for the club last season. He has played for a number of lower league clubs but most fans will know him for his time and Newport County where in his first season he reached 20 goals in a season in all competitions for the first time in his career.
In the first four league games of this season, he has three goals to his name only failing to score in Rovers’ opening fixture against Sutton United. Matt also managed to score in the first round of the Carabao Cup where they knocked out Sky Bet Championship side Bristol City on penalties after drawing 2-2 on the night.
Star Man
Nicky Cadden is coming into this game on the back of arguably the best performance of his career after scoring a hattrick in Forest Green’s emphatic win over Crawley Town last weekend. He has started every game this season for Rovers, securing his position in the team on that left side of the pitch.
Cadden had only scored three league goals last season, including one against the Valiants. The Scotsman played in his homeland for teams such as Airdrieonians, Livingston and Greenock Morton before moving to Forest Green in 2020.
Top Scorer
No team has been able to keep Matt Stevens quiet. Scoring five goals in four games means he is the top scorer in the league having netted in every game he has played. Stevens netted a brace in Rovers’ 3-1 away win over Walsall and will be looking to add to his impressive total against us.
Last time out and recent form:
As stated, Forest Green have won all of their four league games against Sutton, Walsall, Rochdale and Crawley.
They played on Tuesday night in the second round of the Carabao Cup away to Brentford where they were defeated 3-1. Rovers took the lead inside ten minutes through Jack Aitchison and held the lead until the hour mark when Yoane Wissa equalised. Bryan Mbeumo put the Premier League side in front 15 minutes later and Forest Green’s task was made even harder when Ebou Adams was given a straight red with ten minutes left. Marcus Forss wrapped the game up on 86 minutes, knocking Rob Edwards’ men out of the competition.
Their home
The New Lawn has a capacity of 5,147 and was opened in 2006. It is known as the world’s greenest football ground with an organic playing surface and solar panels on the roof which has the potential to power 25% of the stadium.
Forest Green Rovers is located in Nailsworth, Gloucestershire, in the heart of the Cotswolds.
The club address is The New Lawn, Another Way, Nailsworth, GL6 0FG. Put this into your satnav it should direct you to the ground.
Public transport – You can catch a train to Stroud station, and then get the number 63 bus from Stroud town centre. Please note that the last service on the 63 bus is around 8pm.
Park and ride – For most matches Forest Green operate a local park and ride service from Renishaw on Stroud Road (postcode: GL5 5HA). Parking is on a first-come, first-served basis and costs just £3 per car.
Car – There's limited parking at the stadium. You can book a parking space in advance if you are a hospitality guest or a Blue Badge holder, but we encourage you to leave your car at home where possible. Parking is available at the neighbouring school, within easy walking distance from the stadium, at £5.00 per vehicle (card only), but spaces are limited.