Seven points clear at the top of League Two, Forest Green pose an obvious threat on Tuesday night when City travel to the New Lawn.
Ahead of 7:45pm kick-off, Sam Moakes picks three to look out for...
Jamille Matt
Experience is the word when it comes to Jamille Matt. The Jamaican first came to English football at Sutton Coldfield, before moving to Kidderminster Harriers. The striker has since been on the books at Fleetwood, Blackpool and Newport, featuring 164 times for the clubs, with loan spells elsewhere in close to a decade in the Football League.
Matt arrived at Forest Green in the summer of 2020, and with 16 goals in 36 league appearances during the campaign, extended his initial one-year-deal to include a second season. He has continued this great scoring form into 2021 with fifteen goals already this year, but what may be more impressive is his six assists in those matches. Matt was named club captain ahead of this campaign, and if his form is anything to show for the second half of the season, he is certainly one to watch.
Kane Wilson
"Of course, he’s gone for Kane Wilson as a one to watch, he’s a former Grecian isn’t he.’ Well, yes, but my choosing is not without good reason. The 21-year-old looks like an exciting prospect on the right side of midfield or defence and has already had a decent amount of experience in the lower leagues. A graduate from West Brom’s youth academy, Wilson made his first league appearance for Exeter City during a sixth month loan period, aged just 17.
During his time on the books at West Brom, Wilson made over 50 appearances in two loan periods at Exeter and one at Walsall and Tranmere before making his move away from the Hawthorns permanent at Forest Green. This season he has only missed one league game through a minor injury and he has already notched a staggering ten assists in a more advanced right wing-back position. Rob Edwards clearly likes what he sees with the youngster, and I’m not surprised.
Matthew Stevens
Considering Forest Green’s goal record so far, let’s go for another striker as one to watch, and Matt Stevens is the obvious choice. The young striker has found the net seventeen times in all competitions! Before FGR however, Stevens had previously struggled for game time.
It was only during a loan spell from Peterborough to Kettering that the striker found some game time and form, scoring 25 times in 44 appearances for the club. This earnt him a move for an undisclosed fee to Forest Green in 2019 but playing time was few and far between, resulting in a loan period at Stevenage last year. When given the chance though, Stevens can show a good return: 11 goals in just 26 starts for FGR. It looks like Rob Edwards is going to put his faith into the 23-year-old, and he’s already being proved right.