JERRY Gill slammed Forest Green’s display at the New Lawn on Saturday, as they limply slipped to a 2-0 defeat at the hands of struggling Woking.
Rovers looked like a side playing their fifth game in little over a week – lethargic and bereft of ideas, as goals from Alex Rhodes and Liam Marum gave the Cards a fully-deserved win.
It took 74 minutes for Rovers to trouble Woking keeper Danny Knowles, who saved well from Jonathan Smith’s 20-yard shot, then produced an even better stop from Lee Ayres’ header.
But that was the sum total of Rovers’ attacking threat, and they go to Weymouth on Monday looking for the win to take them past 50 points, and safety.
“It was awful, and there are no excuses,” said assistant manager Jerry Gill. “I know we have had a lot of games but I don’t buy fatigue – we looked like a team on the beach.
“They looked like a team who want to stay up more than us. Now we have to put it behind us, and look ahead to Monday.
“We were off it for the whole game and I blew my top at half-time as I always give 100 per cent when I play and couldn’t stand watching that display. It was just not good enough.”
Rovers were struggling for numbers as Ben Ashford, Kaid Mohamed and Adriano Rigoglioso dropping out of the morning of the game, so frantic calls to Chippenham and Stourport were needed to get Marcus Palmer and Jon Else back to sit on the bench.
But Gill added: “The second goal summed it up for me, as we were miles off it,. And there was no pressure on the ball.
“I understand we have played a lot of games recently, but the commitment and desire should all still have been there. That should never be lost.”
Woking, with the experienced Micah Hyde pulling the strings, and the willing Goma Lambu and Wilfried Domouraud always a threat, were on top from the start.
Rhodes volleyed home from 18 yards after 18 minutes and that was the least they deserved, and early in the second half Oliver Bozanic had a shot saved by Burton.
Skipper Paul Lorraine had a 69th-minute header chalked off, then Lambu blazed over from six yards, but Marum’s goal condemned Rovers to a deserved defeat.
Forest Green (4-4-2): Burton 5; Smith 6, Preece 5, Ayres 5, McDonald 4; Lawless 5, Fowler 6 (Else 74, 5), Jones 5, Platt 5 (Palmer 64, 5); Brown 5 (Lloyd 45, 5), Mangan 4. Subs: Pass, Casey.
Woking (4-5-1): Knowles 7; Konan 7, Lorraine 8, Sintim 8, Anderson 7; Lambu 7, Quamina 7 (Marum 76, 7), Hyde 8 (Vernazza 65, 6), Bozanic 7, Rhodes 7 (Pattison 28, 7); Domoraud 8. Subs: Williams, Worner.
Referee: K Johnson (Somerset) 7.
Attendance: 1109
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