Bradford City 0 Forest Green 2
Forest Green striker Christian Doidge scored twice as his side secured a crucial 2-0 away win at in-form Bradford City.
Doidge, who re-joined the club in January, headed home inside 60 seconds and hammered home a late spot-kick in a resolute Rovers display.
The visitors produced an energetic and resolute performance to give their League Two survival hopes another boost after they clambered out of the relegation zone.
“The confidence we got from the game with the games to come,” said Doidge. “We’ll get players closer to me because of the belief of being able to go forward and score goals.
Forest Green’s club-record goalscorer was brought back to the club in the January transfer window to help the club avoid relegation to the National League.
Supporters seemed surprised that the club were able to attract someone of Doidge’s pedigree to the side fighting relegation from the fourth tier.
“It was a great opportunity to come back somewhere I’d been before, the club wasn’t in a good place and I know how hard the club worked to get to the Football League so I wanted to go down and help.
“I’m closer to my family now, I’d been away for five years so Mum’s excited to see me!
“I love playing for this football club, I’ve got so many great memories, and hopefully we can create a good one this year.
Doidge met a Dom Thompson corner in the first minute to give Rovers the perfect start in Yorkshire.
Forest Green defended stoutly before Charlie McCann was brought down inside the penalty area as the visitors counter-attacked.
Doidge dusted himself down and slammed home from the spot to give Rovers a superb away win.
“What an evening. We knew it was going to be tough but the early goal gave us something to fight for.
“I haven’t been getting too many first contacts on crosses so I changed my run slightly. I was happy to get on the end of one.
“There was no way Dom (Bernard) was taking it off me! I fancied that one, I’d played with Sam Walker (Bradford goalkeeper) – I thought he’d know where I’d go.
“The confidence we got from the game with the games to come – I feel we’ll get players closer to me because of the belief of being able to go forward and score goals.
“It’s always been a good group of lads in here. Richard Keogh has so much experience so he’s helped us out a lot, too.
“You see a team out there who works really hard for each other – that’s something we want when we go over the white line.”
