Football column by Forest Green Rovers manager Dave Hockaday (From Gazette Series)

Football column by Forest Green Rovers manager Dave Hockaday

4:19pm Sunday 14th March 2010 in

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FOLLOWING our excellent team performance and result at home to high flying York City it was back to training on Monday with the next game away to another top of the table team in Luton Town.

The de-brief is concentrated on the key aspects of a hard working team ethic allied to our strong defensive shape and our ability for good combination (passing) play and speed on the counter-attack. Concentration at set plays and discipline are also outlined. Training as ever is of good intensity and the players are in positive mood for our trip to the Hatters.

In front of nearly 6,000 supporters we start brightly and achieve our aim of taking the sting out of the game and keeping their fans quiet. Powell and Platt cause them many problems down their flanks and they resort to long balls to their giant right winger Gnakpa. Just when it seems we will see the half out the referee gives Luton a poor penalty decision which in the replay on the dvd shows that their player falls to the ground a yard away from Hodgkiss. Nevertheless we pick ourselves up and regroup at half-time.

We are aware that there is nothing to fear and that we need to be even more aggressive and adventurous in our play. We proceed to dominate possession and territory in the second period and the introduction of Styche up front and Fowler in midfield gives us extra energy and purpose.

Eventually we get our just reward when Jon Smith forces their centre half into handling the ball to prevent him going through on goal. A red card? Platt tucks the penalty away and it feels that the game is there to be won.

The home fans are booing and Luton are making no headway as we continue to have the better of the game - and in the 90th minute a hopeful, straight punt onto the edge of our box results in a scramble and at the second attempt they manage to force the ball over the line with all of our players screaming for a handball from their scorer. Our performance does not deserve this!

Football can be a harsh as well as a beautiful game and yet I can feel nothing but pride for the way in which my players have killed a game, recovered from a poor decision to equalise and look the more likely team to win. I am still totally convinced that if we can now maintain this standard of team play and look to improve upon it then it is within our capability to fight our way to safety.

We had an in house game on Friday to keep our match fitness up to speed and we now look forward to another of our many cup finals away to struggling Gateshead.

This will involve a long, long trip up to Newcastle on Tuesday and we need to make sure that we are fully prepared for this game to make the trip back a positive one.

Our destiny is in our own hands. Believe.