Forest Green Rovers progressed to the final of the Glos Senior Cup with a 3-2 victory away to Cirencester Town.

Goals from an unnamed triallist and Matty Stevens in the first half put the League Two side in control at the break, despite the hosts having chances of their own to get on the scoresheet.

Cirencester pushed FGR all the way in the second half as Levi Irving and Lewis Thompson both netted but 16-year-old Vaughn Covil’s strike in-between them was enough to secure a place in the final.

It was a team of experience and youth named for the semi-final, with Conrad Logan, Matt Mills, Stevens, Udoka Godwin-Malife and Elliott Frear all starting, supplemented by 16 year olds Covil and Harvey Bunker.

Despite a positive start from the Southern League side, it was FGR who broke the deadlock in the 16th minute when a corner dropped at the back post to the triallist wearing number eight and after taking a touch to control, he fired a fierce shot into the roof of the net.

A good save from Logan prevented Cirencester and equaliser four minutes later when Lewis Thompson bore down on goal, one-on-one from the right, but the experienced stopper stayed big to stop the shot.

FGR rattled the woodwork in the 22nd minute when Bunker spread a delightful diagonal ball from right to left that was latched onto by Stevens before he cut inside and saw his shot tipped onto the bar.

Taylor Allen, who has been on loan with Gloucester City, could have netted on the half-hour mark when he found space on the edge of the box and after getting the ball out of his feet, his low shot went just wide of the target.

A second for FGR did come two minutes later with a well-worked goal from back to front.

Mills played the ball out from inside his box to the right wing where the triallist played in Covil down the channel and his ball was turned home in the middle by Stevens, despite the best efforts of Clayton Lewis in the Cirencester goal.

Frear had the chance to add a third in the 33rd minute when he was found in space down the left but his shot across goal from the corner of the box drifted wide of the target.

Cirencester were able to pull a goal back seven minutes into the second half when Tommy Anderson got the ball down the right and had the time to deliver a low cross, Irving coming in at the back post to score.

In the 65th minute, Logan had to be alert to deny Tommy Anderson what looked like an equaliser as the ball deflected to him in space in the middle of the box.

Cirencester continued to apply pressure in the second period but FGR were able to restore their two-goal cushion in the 71st minute.

Good work from the triallist down the left flank allowed FGR to get bodies in the box and his low ball was controlled in the box by Covil before he pokes home into the corner.

Cirencester were not throwing in the towel and brought themselves back into the tie again from a 77th minute corner as Irving flicked the ball on and Thompson was on hand to get the finish and set up a tense final 10 minutes.

Logan had to be at his best late on, having already pulled off a fine save to deny Irving, when a ball was played into the box from Nick Hancock in the 85th minute, and the FGR stopper pulled off a double save from Logan to deny Ross Gabriel from close range and secure the win for the visitors.

CIRENCESTER TOWN: Lewis Clayton, Nick Hancock, Will Tunnicliff, Mike Pook (C), Sam Farr, Will Wellon, John Dennis (Ross Gabriel 38), Tommy Ouldridge, Levi Irving, Lewis Thompson, Tommy Anderson.

Unused Subs:- Max Lloyd, Malachi Lamie-Cotter, Josh Parsons, Harry Rule.

FOREST GREEN ROVERS : Conrad Logan, Udoka Godwin-Malife (Alessandro Pierpoint 65), Matt Mills, Vaughn Covil (Archie Thayer 77), Harvey Bunker, Elliot Frear, Matt Stevens (Daniel Ogunleye 72), Taylor Allen, Trialist ‘A’, Trialist ‘B’, Isiah Jones.

Unused Subs:- Luc Rees, Daniel Jones,