Forest Green Rovers host Colchester United at the New Lawn this Saturday in an important weekend for both teams. Forest Green and Colchester have had a poor start to the season and need the points to mount a safety charge.
Forest Green sit rock bottom of League Two after 12 games. The Rovers have two wins, one draw and nine losses, leaving them on seven points, equal with Sutton United but bottom due to goal difference and three points off of safety.
In their last five games in all competitions, Forest Green have one win and four losses. In a seven goal thriller, Troy Deeney proved why Forest Green needed him. Deeney scored a second half hat-trick, but his heroics weren’t enough as Daniel Crowlet, Macaulay Langstaff, John Bostock and David McGoldrick all scored to give Notts County the 4 - 3 win. The Rovers once again lost when they hosted Morecambe. Michael Mellon and Jordan Slew put Morecambe into a 2 - 0 lead, Tyrese Omotoye did score for Forest Green in the 84th minute but it wasn’t enough as Morecambe won 2 - 1.
Stockport were the next team to beat The Rovers, this time a ten man Forest Green as Marcel Lavinier was sent off. Issac Olaofe and Antoni Sarcevic both scored as Stockport took a 2 - 0 win at home. Josh Andrews scored a brace for Accrington Stanley in their 2 - 1 win over Forest Green, with Mathew Stevens on the scoresheet for Forest Green.
The most recent outing for Forest Green was against Walsall in the Group stage of the Football League Trophy. Omotoye opened the scoring but Isaac Hutchinson equalised as the game finished 1 - 1 and was sent to penalties. Danny Johnson and Ryan Stirk both missed to give Forest Green the 4 - 2 win.
Colchester are also near the bottom, sitting in 21st, just outside of the relegation zone by virtue of goal difference. In 11 games, Colchester have three wins, one draw and seven losses, grabbing ten points so far.
In their last five games in all competitions, Colchester have one win and four losses. In the Group stage of the Football League Trophy Colchester faced Tottenham’s U21 team. Jamie Donley and Jude Soonsup-Bell both grabbed a brace as well as a goal from Will Lankshear as Tottenham won 5 - 0. Back in the league, Colchester lost again. Chris Long grabbed a brace within the first eight minutes to make Samson Tovide’s second half goal null and void as Crewe won 2 - 1.
Colchester’s clash with Notts County was a nine goal thriller. Noah Chilvers, Jayden Fevrier and Cameron McGeehan all scored along with a brace from Arthur Read to beat Notts County 5 - 4, despite McGeehan being sent off in the 79th minute. However, Colchester were down to ten men again against Newport County as Read was sent off late on. Despite that Tovide was on the scoresheet for Colchester, Will Evans and Omar Bogle both scored to give Newport the 2 - 1 win.
The last outing for Colchester was against Morecambe. James Connolly was sent off for Morecambe but a hat-trick from JJ McKiernan gave Morecambe the 3 - 1 win, with McGeehan on the scoresheet for Colchester.
Forest Green and Colchester have met just nine times in their histories, with the first meeting coming back in 2017. The Rovers have a marginally better record in the fixture with five wins in comparison to The U’s four wins, with no draws yet in this fixture.