FA Trophy first-round

Forest Green 1

Truro City 1

Forest Green and Truro City have it all to do again as the FA Trophy spoils were shared in atrocious conditions.

National League title-chasing Rovers looked to have made it through to the next round when Keanu Marsh-Brown gave Mark Cooper’s side a second-half lead, but plucky Truro forced a replay thanks to an Andrew Neal header.

And City  almost caused an upset in stoppage-time, but the flooded pitch saved Rovers as Neal looked to plant a winner beyond the exposed Sam Russell.

Without a game for a fortnight, Rovers blew away the cobwebs of inactivity and peppered Truro in the early exchanges.

And as blanket of fog covered the New Lawn, National League South outfit Truro were forced into an eight-minute change – former Torquay man Durrell Berry hobbling off.

As the white stuff thickened, orange-booted Keanu Marsh-Brown danced across the box to force Martin Rice into a plunging save.

Rice showed quick feet to deny Rovers’ Liam Noble after intricate passing opened the White Tigers up.

Truro were pinned back as Rovers played keep ball.

Christian Doidge tried to break the first-half stalemate, but fizzed his shot into the advertising boards.

Only a last-gasp Aaron Bentley clearance prevented the eye-catching Fabien Robert from opening the scoring with eight minutes of the half remaining - the flamboyant Frenchman thumping a header towards the inviting net from a clever Darren Carter dink.

For all of Rovers keep ball it was Truro who almost broke the shackles on 40 minutes. Neal released strike partner Niall Thompson, who pulled the trigger to see his shot kiss the base of Sam Russell’s post.

Rovers opened the scoring on 50 minutes. Rob Sinclair fashioned a chance for Marsh-Brown to plant a neat strike across Rice.

Just beyond the hour, Cooper turned to the bench and introduced his son Charlie, signed on a month-loan from Birmingham City.

Rovers were rocked when Neal got on the end of a Zane Sole corner with 17 minutes to go to level the tie.

Sole was close to snatching a late winner as his strike was deflected wide in the dying embers of the match as the Cornish outfit finished on the front foot.

Deep into stoppage-time Neal looked odds on to win it for Truro, but the saturated pitch spared Rovers’ blushes as he sank in the puddles.

Forest Green (4-4-2) Russell; Bennett, Wishart, ( Cooper, 66) Pinnock, Clough; Sinclair, Robert ( Frear , 74) Noble,Carter (Kelly, 66); Doidge, Marsh-Brown.

Subs not used: Traore, Chemlal.

Truro City (5-3-2) : Rice; Berry ( Adelsbury, 8), Richards, Sole, Bentley; Pugh; Panser, Knowles, Allen ( Brett, 90); Thompson, Neal.

Subs not used: Afful, Fallon, McHale.

Attendance: 626

Match rating: 3 /5

Star Man: Rob Sinclair (Forest Green)