BRAINTREE TOWN 0

FOREST GREEN 1

A MOMENT of Keanu Marsh-Brown magic proved the difference as Forest Green ground out a win at struggling Braintree Town.

Rovers bossed the first half with Liam Noble at the hub of it, but plucky Braintree responded after the break.

But a missed penalty from Chez Issac saw Mark Cooper's side hang on in Essex to make it back-to-back 1-0 wins.

Earlier, Cooper’s productive rotation policy saw only one change to the team that beat Bromley – Christian Doidge replacing Rhys Murphy up top.

Fabien Robert, a mid-week hat-trick hero, came on to the bench with Drissa Traore (ankle) missing out along with Matt Tubbs.

Braintree, managed by former Forest Green assistant manager Jamie Day, included Bristol Rovers keeper Will Puddy, who joined the Iron on Friday night on a one-month loan deal.

Braintree had grown the grass longer to try and nullify Rovers’ passing game, but Cooper’s side started in customary control – Charlie Clough using the diagonal to pick out Doidge, who was getting the better of Jack Cowgill in the opening exchanges on three occasions.

Captain Liam Noble was prompting and probing Rovers from midfield as they tried to find a chink in the Iron armour.

The play revolved around that man Noble as he totally bossed the show.

A driving run and sweet pass from Keanu Marsh-Brown almost saw Doidge got on the end of it, but the diminutive Puddy did well to smother at his feet.

Braintree are a shadow of the side that reached the play-offs last season and now find themselves embroiled in a relegation battle following a player exodus.

However, they had a brief spell with Michael Cheek rolling Charlie Clough, but seconds later Cheek found himself in the book for diving in the box under a legitimate challenge from Marcus Kelly.

Rovers were sniffing a goal and the inevitable arrived five minutes before the break with a Marsh-Brown howitzer from 25-yards. He picked up a ragged clearance and glided across the pitch to stroke the ball into Puddy’s bottom corner after Ben Jefford had induced a hurried defensive kick.

Braintree were certainly chasing shadows and Rovers were denied a stonewall penalty on the cusp of the break.

Noble opened Braintree up again and Frear burst beyond Craig Braham –Barrett and Puddy with Puddy clipping the flying Frear’s ankles, but despite protests, no penalty was awarded.

The Iron started the second period brightly – Sam Matthews arrowing wide and Simeon Akinola forcing Sam Russell into a plunging save.

Braintree missed a great chance to net parity when Cheek got his angles wrong when he jumped on a Clough error as Rovers let their standards drop.

Noble tried to break the shackles with a skidding strike from outside the box and then showed his energy by getting back to head clear from an Akinola cross.

If Rovers’ claims for a penalty were a certainty in the first half, Braintree’s proved somewhat fortuitous with 19 minutes to go.

Jefford was adjudged to have clipped Issac on 71 minutes, but his subsequent weak penalty was comfortably gathered by Russell.

Undaunted, Braintree kicked-on – Akinola bursting into the box for Russell to fall on his strike.

The match lost any rhythm in the latter stages with the referee disrupting the flow with a flurry of yellow cards, but Rovers saw the game out.

Forest Green: ( 4-3-3) Russell; Bennett, Jefford, Pinnock, Clough; Noble ( Racine,88), Carter, Kelly (Robert,73); Frear, Marsh-Brown ( Moore, 82), Doidge.

Subs not used: Chemlal, Murphy.

Attendance: 621

Star Man: Liam Noble.