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Interviews

Cox updates on team news ahead of Forest Green away

15 April 2021

Interviews

Cox updates on team news ahead of Forest Green away

15 April 2021

First team manager Neil Cox has previewed the away match at Forest Green Rovers on Saturday (12.30pm kick-off) and provided an injury update ahead of the trip to the innocent New Lawn.

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17 April 2021

Ryan Loft has missed the last two games with a groin problem, and Cox explained that this weekend's match will come too soon for the striker, as well as defender Emmanuel Onariase (hamstring) and skipper Jordan Clarke (ankle).

There could be a return to the squad for winger Abo Eisa though, who has missed the last two games through illness.

"Lofty is still not fit, nor is Manny. Jordan isn't fit to play either," he told iFollow Iron.

"Eisa has been ill and is back in the building, and hopefully he can be fit to play a part.

"We didn't get many knocks from the other night (at Morecambe), just tiredness. (George) Taft has played two games in a short space of time after just coming back, and so did Kev (van Veen), while (John) McAtee has played his first matches for a while, so we'll have to be careful and see how they are.

"Harrison (McGahey, who returned from almost six weeks out as a substitute on Tuesday night) is an option. We had him on the bench the other night and got him some minutes. He needs to kick on now. He's had a stop-start season like a few of our players, and needs to go and show what he can do for the rest of the season."

He added that striker Olufela Olomola faces a month out with a medial ligament injury sustained ahead of Tuesday's game.

Reflecting on Tuesday's game at Morecambe, which saw his side beaten 4-1, Cox said: "We were set to have a chat with the players this morning, and will have a debrief of the game, and then focus on a tough trip away to Forest Green, who haven't been on the best of runs recently (without a win in six games), but they're seventh, and we'll get ourselves set up and organised.

"We need to remind them of the things we've done so well since after the first 10 games of the season, and how we've all stuck together. We'll put Tuesday night to bed and make sure they don't do it again.

"I thought we kept the ball better and the stats proved that. We passed the ball well at times until the final third, but our movement in the forward areas and our passing to go forward was poor and cost us. On the night, they had five shots on target and scored four goals.

"We're unsure what to expect from them really as a young Under-18s coach (Jimmy Ball) has taken over until the end of the season (following Mark Cooper's departure last weekend), and will he play the same way or do things differently? We'll make sure we focus on what we need to do though to get a result. We have to be better."

See much more from Neil Cox and Mason O'Malley on iFollow Iron. Click here to get your Forest Green Rovers v Iron match pass.


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