ONE-TIME Stanley target Mark Beesley has managed to upset former admirer John Coleman twice this season.

The former Preston and Chester hitman scored the winner at the Lawn in December against the Reds and looked on course to repeat the feat and give relegation-haunted Rovers an unlikely double over promotion-chasing Stanley on Saturday.

But Interlink favourite Paul Mullin saved the day - and Coleman hopes he isn't counting the cost of Beesley's contribution at the end of the season.

"No disrespect to Forest Green, but they shouldn't be getting anywhere near us at our place," said the disappointed boss. "But we've only taken one point off them in two games. If we're going to be serious play-off contenders, we have to dispatch teams like this, and we haven't done.

"Again it comes down to us finding great difficulty getting results against the lower teams. If you look at the bottom 10 we've lost to six of them."

Coleman has mentioned getting a psychiatrist in to try and get inside his players minds to get rid of this barrier.

"It's so frustrating but you can't work on concentration and mindset in training, so you get to the point where you're flogging a dead horse," he said.

It must have been so frustrating for the boss after he had stressed recently the importance of the Reds winning their home games. They started by turning in a stunning performance against leaders Barnet, this was followed by a battling draw against play-off chasing Halifax but then came the poor show on Saturday.

"We've played two home games now and got two points which is poor," said Coleman.

The Reds chief did have to juggle his side around with midfielders Ged Brannan and Steve Flitcroft suspended.

In came right winger Matt O'Neill, on loan from Burnley, for his debut and he did look a threat with a couple of decent crosses.

"It was a difficult game for him to come into," admitted Coleman. "He hasn't played for quite a few weeks, and the pace of the game is hard. But he showed one or two class touches and I'm sure he'll get better."

But it was Forest Green who carried the early threat despite their second of bottom position.

Darren Davies almost caught out keeper Paul Crichton after a poor clearance but the Reds shot-stopper scrambled back to clear on 12 minutes.

They had the early possession but Stanley still had the better chances. Winger Rory Prend-ergast will have felt he should have done better on 15 minutes when he got on the end of an O'Neill cross six yards out but headed straight into the keepers arms. And Green goalie Dean Williams then pulled off a supeb save to tip away a Steve Jagielka volley which was heading for the bottom corner of the net.

It was a scrappy game in difficult conditions and it only really came to life in the last few minutes of the half.

Conference Player of the Month Lee McEvilly pounced as Jon Richardson dawdled with the ball and burst through only to fire wide. Then Williams did well to keep out a Mike Flynn point blank header while Damon Searle desperately cleared another dangerous Peter Cavanagh corner.

Richardson almost made amends at the other end but his towering header was well over the bar.

The half-time team-talk seemed to work for the Reds as they came out showing some of that fighting spirit which has got them in the play-offs.

And McEvilly was desperately unlucky when he got the better of the Green defence but his final right foot shot hit the inside of the post and bounced out.

Still the smiles returned to the Stanley faces two minutes later when Andy Procter was fouled on the edge of the area. Skipper Cavanagh curled his free kick round the wall and it nestled into the bottom corner of the net.

Most fans would have comfortably predicted that the Reds would go on and safely grab all three points but Alan Lewer's team had other ideas.

A long throw found Matt Gadsby and his shot could only be pushed out by Crichton into the path of top scorer Charlie Griffin who tapped home.

This should have inspired the Reds - but instead it shook them and Green then could have had more. Chris Butler did well to clear a looping Gadsby header off the line, Richardson sent a header wide and Crichton one-handedly kept out Griffin.

Then their pressure finally told when Gadsby looped the ball to Beesley and he charged through and chipped the ball over Crichton for a tidy finish.

It was then backs to the wall for Green as Stanley finally began to assert the pressure but it seemed that time would run out until, four minutes from time, Cavanagh curled in a cross from the wing. It was like pin ball around the area as several Reds players had a go while Green threw their bodies at the ball but they couldn't keep out Paul Mullin's final effort.

"I am disappointed but it is no shock," added the boss. "Every time we get ourselves into a position to kick on we don't. At this stage of the season three points was paramount."