Duncan Ferguson says his players will continue to fight for the fans

The 1-0 defeat to play-off chasing Portsmouth might not have been the most entertaining of watches for the neutral, but Ferguson knows his players are working as hard as they can to try and avoid relegation. 

Forest Green were edged out by Portsmouth at Fratton Park (Image: Wayne Tuckwell)

"I was very pleased with the first-half performance, going in at 0-0," he said.

"The game opened up more in the second half, but there were very few opportunities on both sides. I made changes because I wanted power and pace on the right-hand side, and we had good spells of domination in possession.

"We started to get confident.

Forest Green boss Duncan Ferguson was full of praise for the club's supporters (Image: Wayne Tuckwell)

"We’re just focusing on one match at a time. Next season is a long way off. There are no easy games left. They’re all tough from where I am sitting.

"We have Derby next up, and will now focus on that. Our fans clapped us off today. They know we are making the effort.

"We beat Sheffield Wednesday last week, and nearly got a draw here. We will do our very best for them until the end of the season."

Those comments were echoed by Forest Green's Udoka Godwin-Malife, who said the players won't stop in their efforts to survive.

"We had a few moments but the clinical touch wasn't there. The boys put in a shift and worked hard - we'll continue to do that," he said.

Udoka Godwin-Malife says the team are prepared to fight until the end (Image: PA)

"Portsmouth are a very good side, let's not get away from that. They're a big club in this division and we have to respect the opposition. They brought certain qualities that threatened us. We tried to push forward as a team, but we just couldn't get one over the line. On another day it happens, just like it did against Sheffield Wednesday.

"We're going to continue to put in a shift and try to get as many points as we can, because the fans who support us home and away deserve it."