Forest Green boss Dave Hockaday gives his insight into the latest activities at the New Lawn (From Gazette Series)

Forest Green boss Dave Hockaday gives his insight into the latest activities at the New Lawn

10:02am Tuesday 24th November 2009 in

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MONDAY morning sees a number of knocks and minor bruising but no major injury problems.

Oli Thorne and Tom Ameobi are almost there but we decide not to risk them for our big game at Mansfield in the FA Cup replay.

After the de-brief on Saturday's game and a briefing on Mansfield, the training is short and sharp and of a very high quality. We travel to the game early for a pre-match meal of jacket potatoes and beans in confident mood as we feel on our day we are more than a match for our hosts.

After a nervy start we get into gear and proceed to dominate for long spells with some incisive football.

Eventually we are rewarded with a great opening goal from Conal Platt direct from a free kick and, but for another outstanding display from their keeper, the game should be done and dusted.

True to form and against the run of play Mansfield equalise with a headed goal and then mount a 15-minute spell of unrelenting balls into our box. The team stand firm and put their bodies on the line and continue to be a danger on the counter-attack.

Poetic justice indeed as on 90 minutes Conal Platt forces home the winner amid great scenes of deserved celebration.

The journey home is a long, happy and tired affair and my thoughts already turn to Saturday and Stevenage Borough. Thursday my small and inexperienced squad look physically jaded and emotionally drawn so training is again short but in awful windy weather. Friday sees the full return of Thorne and he is added to the bench for the game.

Gale force winds and driving rain is the order of the day and it is the visitors who start the faster. We are immediately under the cosh from the best team I have encountered so far.

An early goal for them adds to their confidence and they start to physically dominate the match. Right on half-time Platt smacks a shot against their post with the keeper well beaten but they fully deserve their lead at the break after a disappointing half from us where we could not get firing.

Thorne and Stonehouse are introduced for the second period with the former winning a couple of towering headers and thunderous tackles - the cycle is broken and we start to get a foothold in the game but are unable to get the all-important equaliser.

All in all Stevenage deserve their victory and although I hate losing I cannot be anything other than proud of my players for the way they withstood a pummelling in the first half and yet limited Borough to only two efforts on target, and then to respond in the second half with a spirited fightback only to come up short in the vital areas.

I totally believe in my team and am convinced that with the way we are performing that it is only a matter of time before we start to win games consistently and climb to safety.

Now for an easy game against league leaders Oxford United tonight!