Forest Green defeated West Brom U21s 3-1 in our National League Cup opener at The New Lawn.

Goals from Jose Marquez, Tom Knowles and a first senior goal for Thomas Conteh were enough to earn Rovers a winning start to the competition.

Rovers started on the front foot with captain Nick Haughton going close early on but he struck over the crossbar.

The young Baggies side did create a couple of chances of their own - Akeel Higgins fizzing an effort just wide and Ollie Bostock forcing Fiachra Pagel into a fine one-handed stop.

We took the lead on the half hour mark when Marquez slid home a low-driven Tom Knowles cross.

Half-time: Forest Green 1-0 WBA U21s

Liam Sercombe and Knowles showed an early link up down the left with the latter forcing visiting goalkeeper Joe Wallis into a smart stop.

Knowles doubled the lead when he pounded on a defensive error and fired home into the empty net from distance.

Ollie Bostock pulled one back for the visitors just after the hour mark with the Baggies winger finding the net from just inside the penalty area.

Conteh rounded off the scoring with his first senior goal late on, sliding home Knowles' low cross as the clock ticked down.

Full-time: Forest Green 3-1 WBA U21s

Forest Green: Pagel, Kengni (Inniss 59) Merrett, Bunker, Pemberton (Long 1), Moore (Sercombe 45), Mendy (May 1), Knowles, Haughton (Bonnick 45), Conteh, Marquez.

Subs not used: Godfrey, Robinson.

WBA U21s: Wallis, Nelson, Parker, Crowther, Diomande, Mohammed, Ntege (Ranger 45), Whitwell (Maughan 79), Chimeziri, Higgins (Mfuamba 56), Bostock (Idrissa 90).

Subs not used: Brady, Idrissa, Humphries.

Attendance: 417