CITY 1 FOREST GREEN 1

CITY once again left the Valley Parade arena to some booing at the final whistle.

Like Barrow and Hartlepool before it, another home game signed off with some very vocal dissatisfaction being aired.

But the all-round displeasure was not targeted at anyone in white and claret.

Referee Marc Edwards was the guilty party getting both barrels off the City faithful.

It had not been like that on his last visit in May as the Bantams and Scunthorpe scuffed their way to the ugliest of goalless stalemates.

But then that had been played out in front of four empty stands – not an audience seething with a sense of injustice from the official’s dismal display.

Derek Adams chose his post-match words carefully as he offered an opinion we have all echoed for years that the men in the middle should have to explain their contentious decisions.

If a manager has to say why he has made this or that call, then why shouldn’t the referee?

A logical argument that masked what the Scot was really feeling deep down. But that’s where it has got to stay for fear of sanction from the powers-that-be.

There was no such caution from the crowd who made their feelings known loud and clear.

“They did indeed,” said the City boss, “that’s why I don’t have to say much.

“I can’t say anything but the supporters certainly had their views after the game.”

That frustration was no doubt sharpened by the spoiling tactics employed by the league’s leaders.

Forest Green may have moved on from long-time leader Mark Cooper but the dark arts seen in previous skirmishes with City remain prevalent.

The willingness to go to ground, break up the flow and generally get under the skin was very much part of a game-plan. By extending their unbeaten start to 18 points from eight games, rookie boss Rob Edwards will have considered it worked a treat.

But those tactics did nothing for the general mood of a City public, who had generally appreciated a home performance far removed from the Hartlepool horrors.

They had been pushed to the edge by the performance of a referee who seemed more bothered about the ball touching the quadrant at corners than some of the niggling and naughtiness going on around him.

It always sounds a cheap shot to go after the man with the whistle and the toughest job but Edwards will, sadly, live long in City memories.

He was bad across the board, from the little things like Oscar Threlkeld clearing off a Forest Green leg and the away side getting the throw to the big non-calls like the two apparent fouls in the build-up to the equaliser.

Throw in the cynical clip to take out Levi Sutton when through and the elbow into Paudie O’Connor’s face that went unpunished and you can understand why Bantam blood pressure was approaching boiling point.

For the home fans, no doubt some flashbacks to two years earlier and an unpleasant, bitty encounter that Forest Green had nicked in the last minute.

Last season, of course, there was the closed-doors rumble at the New Lawn which saw both O’Connors sent packing amid more accusations at Rovers midfielder Ebou Adams for overacting and hamming up a reaction.

For a team that hail from the smallest village in the EFL, they possess a spiky streak and street-wise knowledge of how to play on the limits.

But then Forest Green are also a very capable side – the league table, however City may play it down at this stage, clearly shows that.

As yardsticks go right now, the bitterness at only taking a draw still shows progress from Adams’ men.

After Hartlepool, most fans would have bitten a hand off for four points from Swindon away and the best travellers in the division.

The fact it could and should have been six indicates that City are heading the right way with a third of the season gone as their manager continues to get his feet under the table.

Unsurprisingly, Adams had kept faith with the same team and formation against opponents who favour a similar set-up.

There were two up top again with Caolan Lavery once more offering support for Andy Cook – although the Canadian’s afternoon would be cut short when he felt his hamstring tug while tracking back.

That meant Theo Robinson, lauded by the crowd after the previous week’s wonder strike, got his longest run-out yet.

Unfortunately, he could not offer any repeat glimpse of his Swindon success and failed to make a proper connection with the most inviting sight of goal from Matty Foulds' cross.

Cook notched a third goal in four home games to give City the early advantage, rising highest in the pack to convert Elliot Watt’s corner.

But as Adams had alluded to beforehand when suggesting their top scorer should already be in double figures, the big man again missed key chances.

One-time City loanee Luke McGee was alert to prevent one but there were no excuses for Cook squandering the close-range opportunity that fell at his feet after a Watt free-kick was blocked by the wall.

That followed a high-octane surge from Sutton, who had raced on and on until he was crudely clipped by Baily Cargill as he prepared to pull the trigger.

Edwards produced a yellow card when Valley Parade screamed for red.

But that was nothing compared to the rage that followed Forest Green’s equaliser from half-time sub Jake Young.

City’s first decent shout for a foul occurred by the touchline near the Forest Green box after Foulds, who had another very solid game, played a ball down the left for the ever-willing Sutton to chase.

He appeared to be nudged in the back by Udoka Godwin-Malife – nothing doing, according to Edwards.

The defender then ferried a casual ball inside where Alex Gilliead was favourite to intercept until Adams caught him and took possession.

Again, the referee, who was perfectly placed to see, let it go – and then strangely signalled play on to suggest that he would have given the call Forest Green’s way anyway.

Of course, that doesn’t excuse the rash and wretched attempts to tackle Young that followed.

O’Connor lunged and missed about 40 yards out, Threlkeld was brushed aside with the help of a kind bobble and Yann Songo’o wrong-footed in the penalty area as the former Guiseley striker capped a long, slaloming run with a toe-poke beyond Richard O’Donnell.

It was poor, timid stuff from a defensive line that had stood strong at Swindon the week before – and pretty much shut down Forest Green from that point on.

But failed tackles aside, how did the referee not think to blow for at least one of those contacts before Young was even up and motoring?

Head-scratching stuff that left those on and off the field hot under the collar.

What was Edwards thinking? We’ll never find out.