Stoppage time winner hands Rovers three points
A stoppage time own goal from AFC Telford United skipper Shane Killock ended Forest Green’s six game winless run in a tense evening of football at The New Lawn.
After failing to find the back of the net in their last three games, Rovers were quick off the mark with front men Charlie Griffin and Andy Sandell working hard up front but with little to work with until a James Rowe corner offered Griffin the game’s opening chance but the lofty striker saw his header easily gathered by Ryan Young in the Telford goal.
The lively James Norwood and left sided partner Chris Stokes combined well down the left but it was the visitors who next had their eye on goal when Craig Farrell blasted an effort well over the bar.
With the burden of finding the back of the net weighing down on the shoulders of the Rovers attack, there was a sense of relief when Charlie Griffin fired in a rebounded effort around the half hour mark to hand Rovers a confidence boosting first half lead.
Norwood crossed for Sandell to scupper his effort and Griffin was on hand to steer the ball in to the back of the net to put Rovers ahead in a first half which also saw Rovers central defender, Eddie Oshodi, have a scrambled attempt on goal cleared off the line.
It was the visitors who dominated the early stages of the second half with Farrell heading over and Richard Davies having his left footed effort easily stopped by Bittner.
With little action but with a raft of substitutions from both managers midway through the second period, it was the last 15 minutes that provided the majority of the action.
And it was kick started when the visitors found the back of the net through former Wolverhampton Wanderers striker Adam Proudlock whose glancing header over the head of Bittner levelled things up.
Rovers were quick with their response as Griffin had an edge of the box effort fall just wide and a Jared Hodgkiss cross set up substitute Yan Klukowski who headed wide.
Klukowski then turned provider when he set up Norwood on the left hand side but the 21 year old smashed his effort over.
A dramatic stoppage time period was the undoing of Telford however as the concession of a corner deep in to the additional time added on was hooked in by Rowe and the unfortunate Killock connected with the delivery to send the ball in to the back of his own net to hand Rovers their first win in October.
Despite the win Rovers boss Dave Hockaday was disappointed with the home side’s performance but was relieved with the final result.
He commented: “I’m really happy with the result and the fact we kept on going. I’m not happy with the performance at all because we haven’t played anywhere near as well as we have been and as well as we can.”
“First half we did okay. In the second half we got ragged and we didn’t pass the ball well enough.”
