Forest Green Rovers fell to a 3-0 defeat at Stevenage's Lamex Stadium, as a Danny Newton Brace and an Elliott List strike sealed the points.

Rovers found themselves 2-0 down at the break, despite an impressive attacking display, and the hosts made sure of the points with a little over an hour on the clock.

Rovers started brightly. The first chance fell the way of Aaron Collins, as Whitehouse set Udoka Godwin-Malife away down the right before the ball made its way back inside to the Welshman.

He fired wide on his left foot.

Collins, who looked electric throughout, got a chance to stretch his legs after 11 minutes as he won the ball on the halfway line and burst through the Stevenage side. He checked back onto his right foot, beating the defender, but fired over.

Cooper's men had their first penalty appeal of the night waved away after 23 minutes, as Collins got in behind the defender on the byline before going to ground under a challenge.

Just five minutes later, referee Benjamin Speedie again gave the decision against the FGR number 10, this time booking him after he went down in the area with his back to goal.

Rovers' luck would get worse too, as mere minutes later the hosts grabbed the lead against the run of play.

Newton found space in the area and tucked home from a cut-back.

Frustration was clearly building for the men in blue as, five minutes later, they had yet another claim waved away by the man in the middle.

Whitehouse wound up to fire home a loose ball in the area and went crashing to the ground. Once again, nothing was given. As if that wasn't enough, Newton added a second for the host with 37 minutes on the clock, turning home a loose ball in the Rovers box.

Stevenage were set firm for the second half, and kept Rovers' chances to a minimum.

The hosts put the result beyond reasonable doubt after 63 minutes, as List snuck in behind the Rovers defence to finish past Thomas.

Odin Bailey saw a free-kick saved with fifteen minutes to play, but otherwise Rovers struggled to break down Boro's backline.

In the second minute of the allotted 11 minutes of stoppage time, Bailey forced a fantastic save from Jamie Cummings, before Kane Wilson's last ditch challenge at the other end stopped Stevenage from making it four.