FOREST Green midfielder Carl Winchester feels a more solid foundation has been key for Rovers in their last two games.

Mark Cooper's side have kept back-to-back clean sheets in recent wins over Grimsby Town and Stevenage.

Forest Green changed their approach slightly against Stevenage as they sat a bit deeper and hit them on the counter attack.

Winchester felt those tactics worked well and felt a solid base was key to getting the results.

"We always said if we can stay solid we've got people in the team that can score goals and we're a threat going forward," Winchester said.

"I thought they could have gone all day without scoring. We did sit in a bit but when we got the ball we broke with and we've got a player like Reece Brown who's a magician, he can pick a pass and Christian Doidge scores goals but it was a good away performance against Stevenage."

Rovers will be hoping for more of the same in tonight's huge game against second place Mansfield at the New Lawn.

Winchester is confident Forest Green can take three points despite Mansfield strengthening since the abandoned game the sides played out last month but the 27-year-old pointed to that performance in difficult positions as evidence Rovers are capable of competing with the teams chasing automatic promotion.

"It's a massive game," he commented. "We know if we win this we can go joint third with Bury and a point behind Mansfield but it's one we can win.

"The conditions were not good but we used them well but it showed we are good enough to compete at the top of the league.

We've seen that all season, near enough all the top teams we've been the better side.

"We know they're a good side and they've bought in players in January and they're a threat but we've brought a few in as well and we're capable of winning it."

With three wins in their last four home games, form at the New Lawn looks to have improved and the Northern Irish man wants to start building momentum on home turf.

"We knew our home needed to change," he said.

"Away from home we're doing great but away from home we need to get that momentum going and we've started to turn the corner now so hopefully it continues."