Forest Green joint-assistant manager Dan Connor says 'winning is a habit' as we preview our away trip to Braintree Town in the FA Trophy Third Round.

Rovers enter at this round of the competition and were drawn away to fellow National League side Braintree - a side we've beaten at The New Lawn already this season.

After having a weekend off following the postponement of our clash with Dagenham and Redbridge due to the FA Cup - Rovers will be looking to get the free-flowing football of this season back at Cressing Road.

"The boys are chomping at the bit to get into the game having had 10 days off," says Connor. “Everybody is ready to play, it’ll just depend on who we pick on the day."

In an important week off-the-field, Stroud District Council approved the planning application for the Junction 13 Eco Park.

It represents another step towards the first stadium to be made almost entirely from wood and a new home for the future of the Club.

“It’s great news. It’s been a long time coming, there’s been a few hiccups along the way with phase one being the training pitch and two being Eco Park - it’s a brilliant thing for the football club and the surrounding area.

“It’s important to get the ball rolling as the planning was always going to be the main problem. Once that hurdle has been overcome, we can start going with it."

However, with focus now back on the football on Saturday, Rovers will have to be wary of a fast-paced Braintree having appointed new manager, Steve Pitt.

The former Braintree assistant manager worked under successful previous boss Angelo Harrop -

“We have to stand up to the new manager bounce and the energy that will be around," adds Connor.

“We’ve got to focus on how good we are whilst giving respect to the opposition too. It’s about what we do on the day.

“They can be difficult to break down – we need to remain patient and keep everybody onside – make sure nobody is getting too frustrated or trying to do something too risky. We want our risk takers to be more towards the final third."

There is an added permutation to this weekend's fixture with the added pressure of penalty kicks that may be required.

Connor continues: “We need the players to have a clear focus on where they need to put the ball before they step up.

"We want our players to enjoy themselves and make the best environment for them here at training, but we still need them to be ruthless whether that’s in training or the game."