Lewer so proud of his FA Cup heroes (From Stroud News and Journal)

Lewer so proud of his FA Cup heroes

FA Cup first round replay Bournemouth 3 Forest Green Rovers 1

ALAN LEWER felt the 3-1 scoreline failed to reflect the magnitude of his teams gallant FA Cup performance at Bournemouth last Wednesday.

"I thought their third goal was offside, just after we had got it back to 2-1, so 3-1 fails to reflect the match," insisted the Forest Green boss.

"But this is a hard place to come. If you let Bournemouth get at you, you can go two or three down early on.

"Their first goal was a bit disappointing defensively, but overall I'm very pleased with the boys."

Earlier, a juicy hat-trick of goals from Alan Connell, John Spicer and Dani Rodrigues earned Sean O'Driscoll's side a home date with Carlisle in the second round.

And despite former Nottingham Forest defender Des Lyttle's peach of a strike gave Forest Green a glimmer of hope late on, the hosts eventually ran out victors.

Connell started the ball rolling with a 10th-minute opener before Spicer slotted home the second 20 minutes from time.

Lyttle's thunderous 88th-minute strike threatened to spark a Rovers comeback, but it was short-lived as Rodrigues popped up to score in the last minute.

Connell gave O'Driscoll's side a 10th-minute lead when he nodded the ball over the line from close range after Holmes had knocked Garreth O'Connor's centre back across the face of the goalmouth.

It was Connell's second goal of the season, the 21-year-old striker capping his first start in the FA Cup with the opener.

As Cherries dominated the early stages, Holmes headed Elliott's cross wide of the upright before Lyttle's block took the sting out of Warren Cummings's goalbound volley from Neil Young's deep centre.

Rovers goalkeeper Dean Williams fumbled O'Connor's speculative effort but gathered at the second attempt as Elliott looked to pounce on the rebound.

The visitors' first shooting chance arrived four minutes before the interval when Richard Appleby's long-range effort took a wicked deflection off a Cherries defender and looped wide of the target.

O'Connor clipped a right-foot shot past the post after Brian Stock had won possession following a crunching tackle on Stuart Roberts 12 minutes into the second half.

Rovers boss Alan Lewer decided to adopt a more adventurous formation when he replaced midfielder Roberts with striker Jefferson Louis, Rovers' goalscorer in the 1-1 draw at The Lawn.

But Cherries continued to press and Connell went close to converting Elliott's near post cross before Stock lashed a right-foot drive into the car park. Williams held a firm drive from Spicer before the Arsenal loan star doubled Cherries' lead when he bagged his fourth goal of the season 20 minutes from time.

The 21-year-old midfielder applied a cool finish by slipping the ball under the despairing dive of Williams after O'Connor had fashioned the opening, neatly side-stepping two challenges before rolling the ball into Spicer's path.

Rovers defender Adam Garner charged down Connell's fierce drive, while O'Connor twice tried his luck from distance with both chances going either side of the post.

Shaun Maher, on as a 75th-minute substitute for Cummings, almost scored with his first touch, his powerful header scooped off the line by Williams.

An overhead kick from Rodrigues flew inches past the upright before Louis's low drive was helped around the post by Cherries goalkeeper Neil Moss.

Lyttle threw Rovers a lifeline when he converted a ferocious 20-yard drive that rocketed into the roof of the net.

With Garner off for a head injury, ten man Rovers were cruelly caught out. Rodrigues sprung the offside trap and ran through to side-foot home Cherries' third at the death.

Bournemouth: N Moss, Cummings (Maher 74), Howe (Browning 82), Broadhurst, Young, O'Connor, Stock, Spicer, Elliott, Holmes, Connell (Rodrigues 77.

Subs Not Used: Stewart, Andrade. Goals: Connell 10, Spicer 70, Rodrigues 90. Forest Green: Williams, Lyttle, Garner, Gadsby, Davies, Watson, Rogers, Appleby (Beesley 72), Reed (Cleverley 80), Roberts (Louis 57), Griffin. Subs Not Used: Windle, Green.

Goals: Lyttle 88.

Attendance: 5,489.

Referee: M Warren (W Midlands).