Source: Northern_Echo
Darlington 3 Forest Green Rovers 0
Darlington 3 Forest Green Rovers 0[LNB] AS a tortuous week of gruelling training followed the humiliating result at Eastbourne, a convincing win against Forest Green would, Darlington's players perhaps hoped, get them off the hook.[LNB] Wrong. One-sided Saturday's 3-0 win over Forest Green may have been, but the victory left demanding manager Mark Cooper less than satisfied.[LNB] So the squad can expect another week without a day off and more double sessions. It is not punishment, says Cooper, but a reminder of the high standards that he sets.[LNB] Although pleased with the work-rate in a victory that takes Quakers up to seventh, he was frustrated by the failure to record a big win, as well as a lacklusture start to the second half.[LNB] A sluggish beginning to the second period proved costly last weekend, when Quakers could only draw 1-1 against nine men, and on Saturday they were functional but underwhelming after the break.[LNB] By then Darlington were already in the comfort zone due to being 2-0 up thanks to a strike from Chris Senior and an own goal.[LNB] When it was suggested that the team had redeemed themselves after the previous week's shambles, Cooper bluntly and swiftly answered: No.[LNB] He said: Training will be the same again next week until we get it going. Until we become consistent.[LNB] The players know that they can play and I think they want to be coached. They want to work hard and they want to win games but that doesn't just come off the cuff, you've got to work at it.[LNB] The problem we had was the start of the second half.[LNB] We're struggling to start properly in the second half and it was the same last week at Eastbourne.[LNB] That's probably why we didn't go on and get more goals, so we've got to come up with a solution to stop us starting the second half so sloppily.[LNB] If you're not already 2-0 up and playing against a team at the top of the league and you start the second half like that then you could be punished.[LNB] We've got to make sure we're more professional.[LNB] The lack of urgency for too much of the second half was in contrast to the first which saw Senior grab his second goal for the club after only three minutes.[LNB] Impressive teenage striker Michael Smith robbed a defender and that allowed hardworking Senior to fire low past James Bittner.[LNB] The second soon followed when Forest Green's Gavin Caines headed past his own keeper.[LNB] In attempting to cut out a delivery from Quakers' leftback Aaron Brown, recalled as part of a mini-reshuffle, Caines diverted the ball past Bittner, which made it 2-0 after only ten minutes.[LNB] It was threatening to become a rout. Liam Hatch fired at the keeper, and was off target with numerous headers, Smith finished poorly when presented with a free shot at goal, Kevin Austin blasted over from close range and Paul Arnison was not far away with a dipping left-footed volley.[LNB] Quakers were rampant and all the while keeper Sam Russell had little to do other than a solitary save that came after his own poor kick.[LNB] Forest Green rarely threatened, but after the break it was not until the latter stages, after Russell had made a oneon- one stop from Reece Styche, that Quakers again troubled Bittner.[LNB] He produced an eye-catching save to deny Arnison, the right-back having cracked a right-footed drive from 30 yards that he could not have hit sweeter.[LNB] Jamie Chandler had been dropped, to allow Joe Clarke into midfield, but the former Sunderland trainee came on as a sub and grabbed the third inside the final ten minutes.[LNB] Again Smith was involved, the youngster taking the ball past Lee Fowler on the right before cutting the ball back to Chandler who produced a cool finish to notch his first goal in senior football.[LNB] Fowler received a red card for a foul on Hatch in injury time, yet so in command were Quakers that the contest had been as good as over since Caines' own goal.[LNB] But the manager wants good results on a consistent basis so it is going to take more than comfortable wins against weak opposition to satisfy him.[LNB] He added: I would like to see the cross count again, especially the number we put in during the second half. We've got to start getting on the end of them.[LNB] The most pleasing thing was the reaction of the players.[LNB] They showed that they took on board everything this week and put in a decent performance.[LNB] They can be pleased with themselves, I want to see the same commitment next Saturday.[LNB] Match facts Goals:[LNB] 1-0: Senior (3, low effort past keeper after M Smith had robbed a defender)[LNB] 2-0: Cains og (10, header past Bittner when attempting to clear Brown's cross from deep)[LNB] 3-0: Chandler (83, neat finish from 16 yards following good work down the right from M Smith)[LNB] Bookings: M Smith (65, foul);[LNB] Herring (67, foul),[LNB] M Fowler (78, foul),[LNB] Styche (90, foul)[LNB] Sending-off: L Fowler (90, serious foul play)[LNB] Referee: Peter Bankes (Merseyside) - Correct in almost all of his decisions, though rarely gave Hatch a free-kick 7[LNB] Attendance: 1,520[LNB] Entertainment: [LNB] DARLINGTON (4-3-3):[LNB] 6 Russell: Had only two saves to make and made them without any problems;[LNB] 7 Arnison: Fired over plenty of crosses and twice came close to scoring with cracking efforts[LNB] 6 Hone: Named the official man of the match, but was rarely tested by Rovers' one-man attack[LNB] 6 Austin: Looked more comfortable in the middle where he won plenty of high balls[LNB] 6 Brown: An improved showing from the recalled left-back;[LNB] 6 Clarke: Did the defensive side of the game well, just let himself down with his distribution[LNB] 8 Terry: The classy midfielder rarely put a foot wrong with plenty of simple but accurate passing[LNB] 7 G Smith: Made some welltimed tackles that epitomised Darlington's spirit;[LNB] 8 M SMITH: Consistently dropped deep to collect the ball and had a hand in two goals[LNB] 8 Senior: The hard-working forward deserved his goal for another determined display[LNB] 6 Hatch: Given a tough time by the Rovers defence and an unsympathetic referee Subs:[LNB] Chandler (for Clarke 71)[LNB] Main (for Senior 81)[LNB] McReady (for Terry 89)[LNB] (not used): Moore, J Gray[LNB] FOREST GREEN (4-4-1-1):[LNB] BITTNER 7; Herring 5, Jones 5, Caines 4, McDonald 5; L Fowler 4, M Fowler 5, Gill 5 (Bartlett 65, 5), Else 5 (Dyer 46, (Smith 49, 5)); Klukowski 6; Styche 5. Subs (not used): Armstrong, Grimes[LNB] MAN OF THE MATCH[LNB] MICHAEL Smith has replaced Curtis Main in becoming Quakers' young one to watch.[LNB]
