Vanarama Conference

Forest Green 1

Nuneaton Town 0

FOREST Green boss Ady Pennock lapped up this ugly 1-0 win like a cat with a bowl of milk.

And Pennock got his just deserts as his dogged side made it four wins on the spin.

Beefy Jon Parkin maintained his rich scoring vein as he bagged his seventh goal in four league matches to propel Forest Green into the play-off zone at the expense of Vanarama Conference strugglers Nuneaton Town.

A turgid clash, on a chilly day, failed to warm the cockles, but Parkin’s ebullience was in early evidence as he audaciously pulled the trigger inside five minutes as his 30 yard fizzer brushed the post.

Part-time Nuneaton are fighting for their lives, but found Rovers hard to penetrate. In a rare attack it was left to Sam Russell to comfortably drop down on an Onome Sodje strike after he had slipped inside makeshift right-back Clovis Kamdjo.

Nonetheless, it was Parkin who lifted the gloom with a moment of sublime 20th-minute skill. The former Cardiff City striker flicked the ball over Elliott Whitehouse and smacked the ball beyond Christian Dibble.

Rovers were cooking on gas. The willing Stuart Fleetwood should have made it 2-0 when he wrestled the ball off Gareth Dean and fed Parkin, who picked out the marauding Elliott Frear, but Fleetwwood, arriving at speed, got his feet in a tangle with the goal at his mercy.

In first half stoppage time, Fleetwood and Aarran Racine went close to adding to the score as Rovers finished the half with their tails up.

Nuneaton boss Liam Daish must have given his side the hairdryer treatment at the break, but it was Rovers who started on the front-foot –Fleetwood firing fractionally over.

Pennock turned to a bench, which boasted quality in spades. New signing James Marwood entered the fray for the first time following his capture from St Mirren and fans’ favourite James Norwood quickly followed.

The substitute duo bonded with Norwood forcing Dibble into a point-blank stop.

However, Rovers lost their way and only a wonder save from Russell denied Nuneaton parity. The bearded keeper flew across his goal to glove a delicious Armson strike with 10 minutes to go.

But it was Rovers who comfortably saw the game out to rubber-stamp their play-off hopes.

Forest Green: Russell; Kamdjo, Clough, Racine, Kelly; Guthrie (Norwood 64), Wedgbury, Sinclair (Pipe 83), Frear; Parkin, Fleetwood (Marwood 63).

Subs not used: Coles, Arnold.

Star Man: Elliott Frear.

Attendance:1,333.