FOREST GREEN 3

TRANMERE ROVERS 1

SCINTILLATING Forest Green Rovers made it a chastening night for their old non-league rivals as Mark Cooper’s side jumped back into the play-offs.

First-half goals from the mesmerising Reece Brown, Liam Shephard put Forest Green in pole position. Tranmere sub Paul Mullin bagged a goal with five minutes to go to set up a nervy finish, but a Tahvon Campbell howitzer in six minutes of added time saw the Nailsworth side leapfrog Tranmere to sixth.

Earlier, Cooper opted to make five changes to the team that were held to 1-1 against Cheltenham Town.

Culpable for giving a penalty away on Saturday, Brighton loanee Robert Sanchez dropped to the bench -James Montgomery taking his place in goal. Rovers’ boss handed recalls to Gavin Gunning, Reece Brown, LIoyd James and Tahvon Campbell.

The last time the two sides met was at Wembley in the climax of the 2016/17 season in which Forest Green Rovers earned promotion to the Football League for the first time in their history.

Tranmere sitting in sixth in League Two and FGR trailing just three places behind them in ninth, but Rovers were at it from the get-go, painting pretty pictures in and around the Tranmere box.

Brown was pulling the midfield strings as Tranmere struggled to gain a foothold.

Brown deservedly put his side ahead – driving forward he wrapped his foot around the ball to find the bottom corner of Scott Davies’ goal after Campbell had opened Tranmere up.

Former Forest Green striker James Norwood was his side’s chief threat, but he rued a chance to level things up just after Brown’s opener, with just Montgomery to beat he drilled the ball into the keeper.

Working their proverbial socks off, Forest Green almost made it 2-0 inside 20 minutes. Dayle Grubb is always a danger from a free-kick, and this time he rattled the underside of the bar from the edge of the box, Davies grabbing at thin-air.

That man Brown opened up Tranmere again. His sumptuous pass caught out the labouring Stephen McNulty, who clipped Campbell from behind.

Gunning took responsibility from the spot, but his penalty clipped the shins of the diving Davies, the ball fizzing out and hitting the alert Shepard and fizzing into the back of the for Forest Green's second with six minutes of the half to go.

Forest Green were rampant – Rawson almost making it three from a Joseph Mills cross.

Two early Carl Winchester strikes set the tone for the second-half, but Montgomery had to be on his mettle when falling on the ball to deny Jay Harris after he exchanged passes with Norwood.

Forest Green responded. Davies took off to deny Campbell as he aimed for the top corner.

Tranmere were much improved in the second-half. 

Tranmere's Mullin pulled a goal back with five minutes to go, but Campbell made the points certain with a  sumptuous 96th minute strike from the edge of the box.

Forest Green Rovers (4-2-3-1): Montgomery, Shephard, James, Rawson, Winchester (Worthington 78’), Grubb (Pearce 86’), Brown (McGinley 90’), Campbell, Gunning (C), Digby, Mills.

Subs not used: Sanchez, Collins, Williams, Archibald.

Tranmere (4-3-3): Davies, Sutton, McNulty ©, Monthe, Harris, Norwood, Jennings (Mullin 66’), McCullough, Caprice, Smith (Smith 56’), Gilmour (Tollitt 80’).

Subs not used: George, Ellis, Mottley-Henry, Williams.

Star Man: Reece Brown

Attendance: 2,081 (465 away fans)

Referee: Antony Coggins