Forest Green Rovers boss Steve Cotterill has confidence that a win was deserved for the squad after a 1-1 draw at Altrincham on Saturday.

A late goal from Christian Doidge rescued a point after Joe Nuttall’s early opener for the Robins as Rovers extend their league unbeaten run to 17.

“That is quite an achievement to go 17 games unbeaten,” Cotterill said. “We deserve that, we have come away from there and we should have won that game.

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"There is nothing we can do about it now, maybe just learn from the first 10 minutes or so, but a difficult and tricky pitch.

"They (Altrincham) have had lots of good results at home here and ended up having a good record, but I definitely think we should have put a dent in that today.”

Altrincham found themselves ahead after 11 minutes when a ball was played into Joe Nuttall by Alex Newby for a great finish past Jed Ward in Rovers’ goal.

Rovers had a brilliant chance to level the game after 16 minutes after a great bit of play found Tom Knowles, his effort was put wide of the post.

Newby nearly put the Robins two ahead 10 minutes into the second-half when his free-kick from distance was pushed away well by Ward.

Rovers had another great chance themselves level after Doidge attempted an acrobatic effort inside the box that narrowly drifted over the crossbar.

Doidge rescued a point for Rovers in the last minute of the game when the ball bounced around in the six-yard box for what was eventually an easy goal for the forward.

After a poor start to the game and to get that late leveller, Cotterill said: “A few of the things that we did early on in the game were just unlike us and some of our throw-ins, we worked so hard on the throw-ins.

"I thought we were the better team throughout, certainly after the first 10 minutes, we were the better team. In the end, we are disappointed we haven’t won the game, there is no way that we think that game should have been a draw, we were the better team by a mile.”

Forest Green switched to 4-4-2 late on in the game before they grabbed the late equaliser and also switched to 3-5-2 in the dying seconds of the encounter.

“We changed to 4-4-2 and then we thought we needed to change to 3-5-2, I was surprised that Manny (Osadebe) lasted as long as he did really because he played 90 minutes in the week and I thought the shift he put in was incredible.

"I didn’t think he was going to last that long, but he played really well and certainly justified his selection.”

Rovers made four changes before today’s game, seeing Harry Cardwell, Cian Harries, Manny Osadebe and Tom Knowles coming into the starting team.

“The changes we make, it is not like the lads don’t know. Don’t forget, we had a game in the week as well, which whether we like it or not, adds disruption to either of the Saturdays because you have got to play so many players in that cup (National League Cup) that we won’t have to play in anymore.

"You have got to work in and around that and make sure that your starting line-up last week and your starting line-up this week works out with the rules of that cup. I have to say, they are not excuses because I still think we were the better team and deserved to win.”

The draw could well be a vital point once again come the end of the season travelling away to a difficult side in Altrincham.

On the importance of the unbeaten streak continuing, Cotterill said: “Really important to keep it going, what people don’t understand in football is how much a defeat does to teams, not just because you don’t get any points, but what it does to the team mentally. We don’t want to draw games, the fact that we have drawn games, it happens.

"We can swap those for defeats and see how everyone feels about that, I certainly wouldn’t want to do that.”

Forest Green drop to second after the draw due to Barnet’s 3-0 home win over Maidenhead United. They could have gone to third, but Boston United were successive over York City, completing a league double over the Minstermen.

Rovers are next in action when they travel to Oxford City in the FA Trophy next Saturday (3pm kick-off).

Altrincham: Ross; Banks, Baines, Olson, Golden; Osborne, Crawford, Newby (Kosylo 84); Crankshaw (Weaver 66), Nuttall (Bickerstaff 90), Linney (Cooper 84). Subs not used: Randle, Pasiek, German.

Forest Green Rovers: Ward; Long (Garrick 70), Inniss, Harries, Robson; Sercombe, May, Osadebe (Tozer 90); McAllister, Cardwell (Doidge 70), Knowles (Quigley 70). Subs not used: Searle, Bunker, McCormick.

Referee: Stuart Morland.

Attendance: 2,089 (206 away).