FOREST GREEN 5

CAMBRIDGE UNITED 2

FORMER PE teacher Dayle Grubb went to the top of the class as his first goals in the Football League helped Forest Green to a vital victory.

Grubb, a January transfer window signing from National League South Weston-super-Mare, struck two beauties to make it 19 goals for the season and the prolific Christian Doidge bagged a brace to push his tally to 19. Sub Tahvon Campbell wrapped things up with a fifth on his debut, leaving Cambridge without a victory at the New Lawn in 10 visits.

Grubb pulled the strings in midfield and played his part in Christian Doidge’s first-half leveller in a helter-skelter four-goal first-half and crowned his match-winning display with a 74th minute howitzer. He left the fie

Earlier, Forest Green made two changes from the team beaten at Swindon Town. Farrand Rawson missed out due to the concussion he sustained last weekend, with Lee Collins dropping back into a back-three. Reece Brown and a fit again Dale Bennett returned to the starting line-up. Manny Monthe dropped out of the starting eleven. Meanwhile, Rovers’ seventh January transfer window capture, Tahvon Campbell, signed on a season-long loan from West Brom, started on the subs bench.

Rovers were caught cold on three minutes . Uche Ikpeazu opened Cooper’s side up for George Maris to apply a simple finish beyond Brad Collins.

With manager Mark Cooper serving the last of his two-match touchline ban and issuing instructions to assistant Scott Lindsey via mobile technology, Rovers soon settled and levelled things up on 18 minutes. Dayle Grubb’s ball into the box saw Rueben Reid step over the ball for strike partner Christian Doidge to fire past David Forde.

Rovers lost parity just seven minutes after Doidge’s leveller. Cambridge’s Medy Elito was allowed too much time to waltz through for an easy opening from another Ikpeazu assist.

Dan Wishart was always an attacking outlet for Rovers. The jet-healed left-wing back stepped on the gas to fire a shot from the edge of the box that kissed the crossbar and post, with Doidge and Reid anticipating a cross.

Four minutes before the break Grubb thundered a left-foot shot onto the underside of the bar as Rovers found their feet. Grubb found his range two minutes later as he opened his account for his new club. Dale Bennett played a perfect ball for Doidge to break the offside trap and roll the ball across the box for Grubb to fizz home his first goal for Rovers and his 18th of the season.

It was nip and tuck after the break. Bennett smashing wide from the edge of the box and Jevani Brown forcing an acrobatic save from Brad Collins.

Cambridge started to dominate the ball and Brad Halliday spanked over after running beyond Wishart.

However, Rovers responded with a sublime 74th minute second from that man Grubb. Coming off the touchline with his left foot, he quickly switched the ball onto to his right to find the top corner of Forde’s net from the edge of the box. Minutes later he was a fraction away from his hat-trick as his skidding shot dropped just wide.

Doidge wrapped things up with his second and Rovers’ fourth on 82 minutes as Forde made a mess of his clearance for the Welshmen to roll in his 19th goal of the season.

With two minutes to go, Grubb left the field to a standing ovation.

Deep into stoppage-time sub Tahvon Campbell made it five with a clinical finish from just inside the box from a Brown assist.

Forest Green: B Collins; L Collins, Gunning, Hollis; Wishart ( Whittle 79), Osbourne, Brown, Grubb (Stevens 88), Bennett; Reid (Campbell 84), Doidge

Subs not used: Pickering, Laird, Monthe, Marsh-Brown

Cambridge United: Forde; Halliday, Carroll, Deegan, Taylor, Phillips (Corr 73), Maris (Azeez 86), Ikpeazu, Brown (Lewis 80), Elito, Darling

Referee: B. Toner

Attendance: 2,228

Away : 273

Star Man: Dayle Grubb