After a half-time tongue-lashing for the players, Chairman Lee Power saw United claim a stoppage time draw at Forest Green Rovers and hopes it will be a turning point in the season.

United started reasonably well and Marcus Richardson and Robbie Simpson had early chances, but Forest Green's Allan Russell seized upon hesitance in the defence to put the home side ahead in the 16th minute.

"We didn't start the way we wanted," Power told the media. "Me and Chris (Turner) have worked with them all week to play the 4-4-2 system and trying to get them organised, and we just wanted a bit of fire in their bellies, and it wasn't there.

"You can probably tell by my voice that I lost it at half-time and it was a bit noisy in the dressing room at half-time.

"My voice is hoarse and Chris (left) is the same, and he's mellowed in his old age so he let me rant and rave at them and then he picked them up," continued the Chairman.

"We were just disappointed. We came down overnight last night and it cost us a couple of grand, but we wanted to prepare properly.

"We spent all week training with them and it was disappointing that they went out there first half and it didn't look like there was any fire in their bellies.

"But we told them what we wanted and I thought in the second half we looked like a different team. We came out and looked solid and we just needed that little bit of luck to maybe nick a goal.

"Even if we had come away after getting beaten 1-0, I think that second half performance was solid and they were doing what we wanted them to do," he added. "But having grabbed that goal in the last minute of injury time that's hopefully something that will kick-start our season."

On the error that led to the hosts' goal, Power agreed that it has already happened too often this season: "It's happening every week and I've said to them that me and Chris don't have a magic wand.

"We've only been working with them for a week and we haven't got a magic wand and we can't go out there and play for them. All we can do is try to organise them, set them up, show them how to play and they have to do it. We can't stop them."

Richardson, Simpson and Jon Brady had further chances to score before half-time while Simpson and Mark Peters (twice) went close after the break, and Power commented, "I thought if we got one we were going to get two or three but putting the ball in the net has been our problem.

"We equalised in the last minute but if we'd had another minute or two I'm sure we would have come away with three points."

It was in the third minute of stoppage time that headers from Marcus Richardson and Mark Peters set up Danny Carey-Bertram to nod the equaliser at the far post, and Power hopes the goal will carry everyone into Tuesday on a high.

"That's what we've been waiting for, to get that goal, and I think it's going to turn the season. They're not a bad bunch of players, I've worked with them and they're an honest bunch, but I'm baffled sometimes and maybe that's why they're playing at this level - because they switch off easily. But we've been working with them and we'll work on it again next week."

Looking ahead to Tuesday's match at home to Kidderminster Harriers, Power hopes the supporters will get behind the team again and lift them on their way to a first win of the season.

"You can't coach confidence into players but the support here today was fantastic and we probably had more supporters here than Forest Green," he noted. "The supporters are different class and they get frustrated, but hopefully this is the turning point for them.

"The goal and the point came like a big sigh of relief for the lads, they celebrated like they'd won the World Cup, and hopefully it sent the supporters home a bit happier.

"We'll be back in again on Monday to keep working hard, and hopefully the supporters can see on Tuesday that the players have that bit of fire in their belly and I'm sure they'll turn out in their numbers again."

On the hunt for a new manager, Power concluded, "We've been speaking to people but we're not there yet. It's been a bit disappointing with a couple of people we've gone after, but we'll keep trying to find the right person and get him in.

"There's no point in rushing it; we need the right man in."

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