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FOREST GREEN ROVERS 3 – 2 DROYLSDEN

BLUE SQUARE PREMIER – SATURDAY 29TH DECEMBER 2007

Report by Gary Owen

The Bloods will reflect upon crucial moments in this game when they failed to convert good chances, as otherwise they would have come away victorious from deepest Gloucestershire.

In the end, a brace from coveted Stuart Fleetwood – possibly his last goals for Jim Harvey's side? – secured victory for Rovers, whose nails must have been chewed to the fingers following this spirited display from Dave Pace's charges.

Droylsden's task was an uphill one from early on, as Fleetwood, watched again by a plethora of league scouts, received the ball from Paul Stonehouse to slot under the advancing Paul Phillips on 7 minutes.

Then came the first of those crucial misses, as the Bloods produced a flowing move on the counter-attack after a home corner, with Jamie McGuire putting Chris Denham clean through. However, with just Ryan Robinson to beat, he prodded agonisingly wide of the post.

Forest Green showed how costly misses like that can be at this level when they doubled their lead on 34 minutes, with the unfortunate Liam Murray turning a low cross by Adrian Rigoglioso into his own net.

On the stroke of half-time, Alex Lawless flashed the ball accross the face of goal, but Stonehuouse was unable to connect at the far post.

After the break, Jody Banim lofted the ball just off target, but at the other end Phillips saved well from Rigoglioso after Jamie Tandy had been caught in possession.

Banim was in the thick of the action again on 54 minutes, when he showed great tenacity in the box. Surrounded by Rovers defenders, he fought to keep possession, and eventually clipped the ball to the far post, where Denham made amends for his earlier miss to steer home from the tightest of angles.

Phillips saved from Simon Clist before the Bloods struck level on 61 minutes. Tandy chased what appeared to be a lost cause, and crossed for Terry Fearns to stoop and head into the roof of the net from 10 yards to stun the home contingent.

Tandy and Banim combined to tee-up McGuire, but Robinson saved well, and then Phillips showed why he is one of the best in one-on-one situations when he robbed the ball from Fleetwood's feet.

Dave Pace was ordered from the dug-out, presumably for over-stepping the mark with the officials, but the Bloods continued to seek the winner on the pitch, with McGuire just off target with a speculative effort.

Fearns was presented with a great chance to secure the three points on 75 minutes, but Robinson was out quickly to smother when the Bloods' striker looked favourite to clip the ball over him.

Fleetwood showed how it was done, though, just two minutes later when he left Colin Cryan in his wake and steered the ball past the advancing Phillips into the opposite corner.

In added time, Droylsden forced late corners, and Gavin Salmon almost won a point for his team with his first touch, but his goalbound header from Tandy's corner struck team-mate Cryan and flew over the bar, much to the relief of Jim Harvey and his team.

Another defeat, but Droylsden will consider themselves very unlucky not to have come away from the New Lawn with at least a point, and if that display of characterand level of commitment can be taken into the future games, then survival is certainly not out of the question.

TEAMS:

FOREST GREEN ROVS. Robinson, Lawless (Afful, 46'), Tonkin, Jones, Pitman (Brough, 81'), Clist, Rigoglioso (Beesley, 83'), Hardiker, Preece, Fleetwood, Stonehouse.

Subs not used: Carey-Bertram, Burton.

DROYLSDEN Phillips, Murphy, Murray, Cryan, Halford, Morris (Tandy, 46'), McGuire, Burbeary, Banim (Salmon, 90+3'), Fearns (Talbot, 90+3'), Denham.

Subs not used: Warner, Lynch

Referee: Mr. Steve Rushton (Staffordshire)

Attendance: 1,226

Photo's by Bill Wheatcroft