Match Report | Forest Green Rovers 4-0 Brackley Town

Forest Green Rovers made it back-to-back wins in The Enterprise National League after beating strugglers ten-man Brackley Town at The New Lawn on Good Friday.

The visitors were reduced to ten men in added time of the first half, Zak Brown was sent off for a second yellow card.

Rovers capitalised instantly with D’Mani Mellor scoring his second goal in two games just before the break.

The home side dominated proceedings in the second half when Kyle McAllister’s rocket of a strike doubled the lead.

Jili Buyabu joined the party only a minute later, adding a third before Laurent Mendy scored his first goal for the club with an excellent goal just before the 90-minute mark.

First half:

Rovers saw most of the ball during the opening ten minutes of the game, with Niel Kengni coming closest with an attempted half-volley that went just wide.

Rovers had another good opportunity moments later when Tom Knowles played a throw down the line to D’Mani Mellor, who did well to beat his man. The forward flashed a dangerous cross into the area, but there was no Rovers player there to turn it home.

The visitors defended well to keep Rovers at bay, restricting them largely to long-range efforts, with McAllister and Haughton testing Saints goalkeeper Harrison Rhone from distance.

The key moment came in the closing stages of the first half when Brackley midfielder Zak Brown was shown a second yellow card for a poor foul, reducing the Saints to ten men just before the break.

Rovers capitalised instantly through D’Mani Mellor, the forward latching onto a Nick Haughton pass following a short corner to put Rovers in front. Mellor has now scored in back-to-back games for Rovers.

Half-time: Forest Green Rovers 1–0 Brackley Town

Second half:

Rovers put Brackley under pressure early in the second half, with Robbie Savage’s side creating several good opportunities in and around the box, but struggling to convert them.

Substitute Campbell played a lovely through ball to Jili Buyabu, who looked to have the better of the onrushing Rhone, only for Buyabu to fire into the side netting in the 65th minute.

Kyle McAllister doubled Rovers’ lead moments later, with the club’s top scorer linking up superbly with Nick Haughton on the right-hand side. A clever flick from Haughton set McAllister up to fire past the helpless Rhone.

Rovers made it three just a minute later when the overlapping Buyabu was played in down the left by Haughton following a counter-attacking move. The on-loan Sheffield United player calmly slotted the ball past the onrushing Brackley keeper, completing a hat-trick of assists for Haughton.

Laurent Mendy added a fourth in the 88th minute with a wonderful strike from outside the box. The versatile player scored his first goal for the club, beating his man to create space before curling a delightful effort into the top-right corner to cap off a brilliant afternoon for Rovers.

That makes it back-to-back wins for Robbie Savage’s side, who now sit on 74 points as they travel to Truro City on Easter Monday. With Scunthorpe dropping points at home to Hartlepool, the gap to fifth place has been reduced to just four points.

Full-time: Forest Green Rovers 4-0 Brackley Town

Forest Green Rovers: Isted, Kengni (Campbell 46), Mendy, McAllister ©, Haughton, Knowles (Ahmed 80), Clarke (Robson 80), Buyabu, Nwoko (Babalola 61), Kanu (Moore-Taylor 75), Mellor.

Subs not used: Pagel, Mingi.

Brackley Town: Rhone, Morrison, Dean, Pollock, Brown (Sent off 45+2), Roberts, Lowe, Campbell (Harrat 27), Elliot-Wheeler (Byrne 63), Lilly, Tripp

Subs not used: Maxted, Calder, Nottingham, Worby, Hall.

Attendance: 2095 (Away:108)