Wrexham 0

Forest Green 0

A DOGGED performance earned Forest Green a point at the Racecourse Ground as Ady Pennock’s side extended their unbeaten run into a ninth game, writes Richard Joyce.

Worryingly for Rovers,injuries forced Sam Wedgbury and James Norwood  to hobble off.

How just a second goalless draw of the season ended up without a goal though is a mystery, after both teams battled it out in what proved to be an exciting second half showing.

Earlier, Pennock decided to keep with the same eleven who started Saturday’s win over bottom of the table AFC Telford United.

However after only 12 minutes, the FGR boss was already forced to shuffle the pack when Clovis Kamdjo replaced the injured Wedgbury, who limped off with a hamstring problem.

The first real chances on the night fell Rovers way as Kamdjo almost headed in on 17 minutes after Norwood had crossed well.

Only a minute later Forest Green should have been ahead. Fantastic work down the left- hand side by Elliott Frear saw the England C man pull the ball back for Jon Parkin, however the front man couldn’t find a way past Andy Coughlin.

The Wrexham goalkeeper had been part of the England C squad that lost narrowly against the Cyprus under-21 side exactly a week before alongside Frear and Norwood.

And he made a good one handed save to deny the latter shortly before half time when he kept out his shot from 20 yards.

A tricky playing surface made life hard in the first half, and there was a fortunate increase in entertainment value when play got underway after the break.

Early Rovers pressure saw Parkin from as early as the first minute in the second period go very close to breaking the deadlock, only to see Coughlin spurn another great opening.

Meanwhile he made another terrific stop from a Kurtis Guthrie header after Dale Bennett had done well to power down the right hand side to cross for the former Welling United man.

Having failed to take advantage of a bright start to the half, the attacking mantle was handed to Wrexham, and on 55 minutes Elliott Durrell’s volleyed effort dipped just over Steve Arnold’s crossbar.

Charlie Clough hacked away another effort on the hour mark as the home side failed to poke home from close range, while there were two stunning saves to come from Arnold, who was making only his second FGR appearance for the club.

Firstly he made a dazzling one handed save to keep out a deflected cross, and then from the following corner, he kept out Blaine Hudson’s towering header with another brilliant stop.

The match had become incredibly open in the second half and the momentum once again swung back into Forest Green’s favour.

With quarter of an hour of normal time to go, Frear did well to tee up Parkin for a shot just inside the box, however Rovers leading marksman this term couldn’t hit the target.

Meanwhile, the introduction of Stuart Fleetwood as a substitute once again sparked some useful energy in attacking areas. The Eastleigh loanee came just inches away from finding the bottom corner with a curving shot after Parkin had allowed him the room to shoot.

He saw another attempt blocked only minutes later, with Parkin’s follow up also kept out by a Wrexham defence determined not to be breached.

And after Durrell had blasted over from 12 yards in a late chance for the hosts, there was a dramatic last gasp opportunity for Frear to try and steal a late win as the match entered stoppage time.

A dreadful Wrexham free-kick was picked up by Fleetwood, and he galloped forward powerfully down the right side, eventually setting Frear free to face Coughlin when one-on-one.

He couldn’t secure a dream ending for his side though, as he powered wide to leave both sides with the points to share.

WREXHAM (4-2-3-1): Coughlin; Tomassen, Smith, Hudson, Stephens; Storer, Finley; York (Moult 72), Carrington (Durrell 45), Morris; Bishop.

SUBS: White, Waterfall, Clarke.

BOOKED: Bishop.

FOREST GREEN ROVERS (4-4-2): Arnold; Bennett, Clough, Racine, Kelly; Norwood (Guthrie 44), Wedgbury (Kamdjo 12), Sinclair, Frear; Parkin, Marwood (Fleetwood 79).

SUBS: Russell, Pipe.

Booked: Marwood, Sinclair.

Attendance: 2,044 (32 – away).

Star Man: Aarran Racine.