Forest Green 2

Kidderminster Harriers 3

VEGAN Forest Green were the Boxing Day turkeys after they tasted back-to-back Conference defeats.

Two Conference wins from the last ten and six points off the play-offs isn't blunting chairman Dale Vince's ambitions and he will provide funds for boss Ady Pennock to perk his squad up in the January sales.

Vince said: "I feel we have a shot at the play-offs -well make a signing or two in the January window if we can, to give us that extra push."

This team boasts talent in spades, but the way the defence crumbled after Danny Coles limped off will certainly raise a few eyebrows.

Four goals in a heart-pounding 15-minute spell in the first half lit the blue touch paper in an entertaining clash, but it was Kidderminster Harriers, who bagged the presents as a sloppy Rovers gifted them all three points when Aman Verma bagged a brace with 10 minutes remaining.

Rovers had chances in stoppage time with Lee Hughes and Rob Sinclair equally culpable.

In article mpu Earlier, Pennock tweaked his team from the 2-1 defeat at Grimsby Town last Friday. Chris Stokes, who scored a stunner in Cleethorpes was dropped to the bench. Rob Sinclair returned to the midfield engine room after a three-match absence and Lee Hughes was afforded a rare start in place of the unwell Kurtis Guthrie.

The match opened at a frenetic pace with chances at a premium.

However, Rovers were unfortunate not to nose ahead on 12minutes. James Norwood stepped on the gas to nutmeg former Forest Green left-back Kevin Nicholson to plant a sumptuous left-footed curler beyond Kiddy keeper Danny Lewis and onto the base of the far post.

Rovers almost pressed the self-destruct button on 16 minutes. Captain David Pipe saw his clearance blocked by the outstanding Marvin Johnson, but Luke Oliver spared the blushes with a great block on a goal bound Kyle Storer strike.

Rovers gained a 29th minute foothold when former Kiddy favourite Hughes rolled back the years with a deft header from a pin-point Marcus Kelly free-kick following a foul on Sinclair.

Kicker With their tails up the dangerous Norwood set-off on a buccaneering run, but former Forest Green captain Jared Hodgkiss got back to snuff him out.

A crazy spell saw the match turn this way and that.

Harriers netted parity on 34 minutes. Ex-Rovers’ left-back Kevin Nicholson arched over a trademark cross for Verma to climb above Coles and plant a delicious header beyond Sam Russell.

Rovers’ riposte was immediate.Norwood hit a fizzer from outside the box, but a strong Lewis glove denied him. However, Rovers were back in front five minutes later.

Jon Parkin found Norwood in the box, who made no mistake from close range.

Defensive kingpin Coles was forced to hobble off with a calf strain with just four minutes of the first half remaining and his departure caught Rovers cold.

Rovers’ backline looked porous as Hodgkiss picked out the unmarked Jack Byrne, who planted a diving header home.

Rovers needed a bright start to the second half and should have found it when Elliott Frear rolled a ball across the box for Norwood to somehow fire wide from four yards and a gaping goal at his mercy.

The game was turning fractious with Parkin and Norwood seeing yellow.

Rovers huffed and puffed. A hanging Kelly cross saw Hughes’ header rebound off Lewis and then clip the keeper and hit Hughes and the outside of the post.

Wedgbury blased over and a Norwood header was saved as Rovers looked for a third.

A moment of madness almost saw Kiddy nose ahead. Russell chucked the ball to Johnson and his audacious lob almost caught the backpeddling Russell out. Still the chances game. Sinclair won the ball and picked out Hughes, who took the ball in his stride but failed to hit the target.

Rovers lost their way as Kiddy gained a foothold and nosed ahead with a contentious third. Russell punched clear, but the ball tossed back into the area and the ball dropped to Verma, who despite looking offside, hooked the ball in from point blank range.

Pennock’s men looked for a way back in. Frear escaped the excellent Hodgkiss but Hughes was thwarted again.

Kiddy almost killed the game with a fourth but Russell pawed a Johnson strike wide. Rovers do have a resilience and Hughes should have levelled with an 89th minute header from a Kelly free-kick. In the dying embers of the match Sinclair fired into Lewis after Oliver had flicked on a deep Russell free-kick.

Forest Green: S. Russell; D. Pipe, L. Oliver, D. Coles (A. Racine 43), M. Kelly; J. Norwood, R. Sinclair, S. Wedgbury, E. Frear; J. Parkin, L. Hughes.

Subs not used: D. Bennett, C. Stokes, L. McGrory, P. White.

Kidderminster Harriers: D. Lewis; J. Hodgkiss, J. Tunnicliffe, J. Grimes, K. Nicholson; C. Gittings (C. Reid 46), K. Storer, J. Byrne (J. Green 89), M. Johnson; A. Verma; R. Styche (A. Asante 74).

Subs not used: A. Obeng, J. Mayebi.

Referee: C. Hicks (Surrey)

Attendance: 2,044

Star man: Rob Sinclair