Forest Green boss Mark Cooper insists his title-chasing side will remain “grounded” as the race for automatic promotion in Sky Bet League Two hots up.

Jamille Matt scored his ninth goal of the season to secure the late 1-0 win over Carlisle, which stretched Rovers’ unbeaten record to seven and moved them just a point behind leaders Newport.

Carlisle began the game on a four-game winning streak and had previously never lost at Forest Green.

A delighted Cooper said: “Carlisle have had a brilliant run and are really direct and we had to be dogged, determined and we defended really well with not the biggest back three in the world.

“We dug in and I thought we played really well in the second half.

“I thought Jammer (Jamille Matt) did really well, our number nine earned his money and was a really important player for us today and he held the ball up well in the second half and Azzer (Aaron Collins) in behind him should have had a hat-trick.

“We’re consistent at the moment, but have done nothing yet. We have to grind it out game-to-game. Of course we see the table but we’re quite grounded and you could get egg on your face if you start being silly.”

Carlisle boss Chris Beech, a former Hartlepool team-mate of Cooper’s, felt his side needed to quickly move on from a narrow defeat against their fellow promotion contenders.

He said: “We’ll dust ourselves down from this defeat. Congratulations to Forest Green, their lads and their staff.

“We had a few chances in the first half, but I felt we weren’t on the front foot. We weren’t at it. We were better in the second half.

“I thought it would be a scrappy goal that won it and that’s what happened.

“They’ll be dead chuffed with three points, but I’m only interested in us.

“I said to the lads it was a good effort from everybody. It’s been a massive effort from everyone at the club since 19 players left in the summer.

“We now have to move forward from the point we’re at now.”