Bully's a real handy man for impressive Forest Green
MATT Bulman's outstanding goalkeeping display helped dogged Forest Green earn a deserved point at title favourites Luton Town last night.
The former Swindon Town and Cirencester Town stopper expected to start the season as an understudy to supporters player of the season James Bittner, but his eye-catching form has certainly earned him the gloves.
Despite the Bulman show, Rovers almost snatched a victory late on when Keiron Forbes' rocket beat the static Kevin Pilkington and bounced down off the crossbar and out.
Luton brushed aside Forest Green 6-1 in the corresponding fixture last season, but Rovers showed that they are a much improved outfit.
Earlier, Rovers' Charlie Griffin nodded Dave Hockaday's side in front early in the second half before Dean Beckwith levelled for the hosts with a headed goal.
Rovers were missing the injured Chris Todd, but included defenders Jamie Turley and Chris Stokes for the first time following their respective one game bans.
The Hatters almost nosed in front on 14 minutes. James Dance delivered an inch-perfect cross from the right, which met the head of Aaron O'Connor who had ghosted behind his marker from the left, but the former Rushden man's low header flashed agonisingly wide of the post.
The impressive Dance dashed past Stokes and cut a dangerous cross back to the edge of the 18-yard-box. Jake Howells checked his run and attempted to hit the ball on the volley, but his right-foot effort was always rising too high to trouble Bulman in the visitors' goal.
Moments later the same duo combined again, with Dance cutting inside Stokes to square for Howells on his left-foot this time, but again the Welsh
under-21 international couldn't keep his shot down.
Town then switched the play to the other flank, where O'Connor had already shown that his pacey, direct play was going to trouble the Forest Green defence, and the athletic winger picked the ball up and cut inside before hitting a daisy-cutter which Bulman did well to get down and save.
The Hatters were on the receiving end of a scare on 24 minutes, and had Kevin Pilkington to thank when he saved well from James Rowe after the Rovers' man broke through the midfield and shot from distance.
But former Forest Green favourite Alex Lawless responded by coming even closer for the Town as the home side broke forward, lashing a rasping right-foot volley which looked like a certain goal, only for Bulman to fling himself to his right and meet the ball with a strong fist down low.
On 37 minutes Keith Keane won the ball in midfield and drove forward before shooting low from 25 yards, but Bulman was able to stop the shot and then gather at the second attempt.
Luton target Reece Styche had a rare effort on goal for the visitors on the stroke of half-time, shrugging Asafu-Adjaye off the ball on the edge of the centre-circle before turning and, seeing Pilkington off his line, attempting an audacious lob from 40 yards.
The visitors' main attacking outlet in the first half had been through set pieces, with Pilkington doing well to punch away a couple of Rowe corners early on, and on 52 minutes Rovers managed to break the deadlock and take an unexpected lead. Rowe stood over a free-kick on the right-hand side and curled over a deep cross which evaded everyone, allowing Griffin to finish at the back post.
That goal rocked the Town and for the next ten minutes or so the hosts struggled to impose themselves on the game. A tactical switch on the hour mark saw Robbie Willmott replace Matthew Barnes-Homer.
O'Connor's pace almost made an immediate impact in the middle, as nice interchange play between Howells and Lawless released the new-signing in the area, but recovering defender Stokes was able to do just enough to shrug off the forward and shepherd the ball back to the goalkeeper.
And the Hatters found the equaliser they'd been looking for on 69 minutes when debutant Beckwith headed in after had Lawless floated in a corner from the left which Dance headed back across goal.
Fellow new-boy Dance thought he'd joined Beckwith on the scoresheet six minutes later when he won the ball in the air from a Willmott free kick and lifted a header over the goalkeeper, but Griffin got back superbly to block the ball on the line, hurting himself in the process.
With 10 minutes remaining on the clock Willmott almost claimed a goal of his own, cutting in from the left and unleashing a fierce shot at goal, but Bulman did just enough to push it out for a corner.
And moments later Willmott came even closer with another fine shot from outside the box, but again Bulman managed to beat the ball away diving to his left.
As the Town pressed forward for a second goal, space opened up at the other end of the pitch, and Forbes almost scored a magnificent winner for Rovers when he rattled the crossbar with a 25-yard effort on 87 minutes.
