Forest Green Rovers 0 v Charlton Athletic 1

For half-an-hour of this match it looked like we would win it very comfortably but it went downhill rapidly after that. 

Rovers gave us a lot of space early on and seemed unable to get out of their half. Rak-Sakyi was tearing holes down their left, even with two men on him his 12th minute cross to the centre of the box was hammered in by Blackett-Taylor. We really should have gone two-up and made this easy but we lacked a cutting edge. Chuks Aneke was back in the starting line-up in place of Bonne but he struggled to get on the ball and looked short of fitness.

Once Rovers finally found their feet, they made the last 15 minutes of the first-half uncomfortable for us but wasted two good opportunities to level.

Duncan Ferguson had seen how much space our back four had to play the ball around and find our midfielders and it was notable after the restart that they were instructed to move upfield quickly and pressure us when we tried to play out. That worked for them and they began to look increasingly confident going forward. We look very casual when we have a lead and it's hard to avoid the feeling that our players have an unhealthy view that they always think they can score again if the opposition equalise.

We were very fortunate not to concede. Our players must have blocked ten shots in the final fifteen minutes and it was all hands to the pumps to try to slow them down. Ashley Maynard-Brewer kept us in front with the save of the match towards the end when he showed tremendous reflexes to get down so quickly and so low to push out a shot he had no right to expect to save.

Dean Holden's post match press conferences when we lose are usually all about what's not good enough at this club and how it won't be tolerated or acceptable in the upcoming match and this has largely been the case with a win-lose-win-lose-win sequence. I find those a tad disappointing because our losses have been largely very disappointing and down to performances Holden has told us won't be tolerated.

By comparison, when we win, he talks much more about the game and is usually comprehensive, honest and accurate in his assessments. It is still early days and it could go both ways for him but the season is over and he doesn't have a squad to that looks much better than mid-table in any event.

We remain desperately short of central attacking options. No surprise that a winger is top scorer.  Bonne doesn't look like fulfilling his promise of making it up to us and Aneke looks like he is working his way back to another break-down. Leaburn has a hip-knock and Holden seems reluctant to try Daniel Kanu again.

Our dependence on loan players is an indictment on any serious attempt at building a side capable of promotion and being competitive in the Championship but beggar's can't be chosers.

The next three fixtures against Derby, Sheffield Wednesday and Plymouth looks ominous and a real test but we have a tendency to up our game against the better sides.