FOREST GREEN 4

NEWPORT COUNTY 3

MATT TUBBS stepped off the bench to fire a brace as Forest Green finished their pre-season campaign with a win over League Two outfit Newport County.

And boss Mark Cooper will have been pleased with his striking arsenal as Rhys Murphy and Kieffer Moore were on target and Christian Doidge took the man-of-the match award from Dale Vince's green energy company Ecotricity.

Cooper possibly showed his hand with his pick a strong indication to the starting eleven for opening game of the new season next weekend at Boreham Wood.

However, he opted to leave captain Aarran Racine and Tubbs on the bench.

Meanwhile, Newport named five former Forest Green players in their squad - Jon Parkin, Jamie Turley, Sean Rigg, James Bittner and Darren Jones.

Rovers started brightly and County keeper Joe Day got down to parry an Elliott Frear hit and moments later he thwarted Darren Carter’s fizzer after Rob Sinclair engineered the chance, which finished with Murphy’s follow-up ruled out for offside.

However, Rovers nosed ahead in the fourth-minute. Charlie Clough’s long ball was flicked on by Christian Doidge for strike partner Murphy to clip home.

Newport responded with Rigg finding Jack Compton, who smashed a curling strike fractionally wide of Sam Russell’s top corner.

Rovers have designs on League Two and beyond and they certainly looked the stronger side as Newport struggled to gain a foothold.

They found their feet when Marlon Jackson planted a firm 28th minute header beyond Russell after a pin-point Mark Randall cross.

Rovers responded with Doidge’s aerial presence a thorn in Newport’s side and the tall striker went close on two occasions.

An unsighted Russell was on his mettle to gather a Randall stinger through a crowd of defenders, following a well-worked Compton corner.

Randall, Newport’s main man, was narrowly off-target from a training ground corner move, which left Rovers exposed at the back when Jackson found the unmarked Rigg for a simple 57th minute goal.

Cooper made two immediate subs with Mo Chemlal and Liam Noble on for Marsh-Brown and Sinclair respectively.

Chemlal was quickly into the action as he forced Day to glove his strike to safety.

Cooper continued with a raft of changes with Tubbs and  Moore given 25 minutes of important match-time.

And Tubbs and Moore made their mark as Rovers came from behind with three goals in eight minutes.

Noble conjured a sumptuous strike that was met with equal brilliance from a flying Day from a Tubbs assist.

And it was Tubbs who netted parity a minute later as he picked his spot from a Frear cross with twenty minutes to go.

Five minutes later Tubbs bagged his second as he glanced home from a Chemlal cross.

The goal avalanche continued - Moore got in on the act with a neat finish across Day just two minutes later with Rovers’ 78th minute fourth.

Cooper was spitting feathers when play was allowed to continue after Jones floored Moore and Newport played on with Rovers’ Ethan Pinnock handling on the byeline for Jenson Myrie-Williams to convert an 85th minute penalty – sending Russell the wrong way.

Rovers could have added to their goal tally with Tubbs and Moore seeing shots blocked.

Forest Green: (3-5-2) Russell, Clough , Bennett, Pinnock; Sinclair, (Noble, 58), Traore ( Racine, 68), Carter ( Jefford, 81) Frear (Elliott, 81), Marsh-Brown (Chemlal, 58); Doidge (Tubbs, 65), Murphy (Moore, 65).

Subs not used: Maxted, Moran.

Newport County: Day, Barnum-Bobb (Bignot,80),Turley (Jones, 68), Bennett, Butler, Compton, Randall (Meechan 80) , Labadie (Owen-Evans, 80), Myrie-Williams, Rigg (Parkin, 57), Jackson (Tozer, 68).

Attendance: 624

Away: 165

Referee: A Penwell

Star Man: Christian Doidge