Vanarama Conference

Forest Green 3

Macclesfield 1

ON the day of the Grand National, Forest Green were certainly at the races as they took a huge gallop to a potential play-off semi-final spot.

The canny Jon Parkin grabbed the reins to ride Rovers home. The Vanarama Conference thoroughbred striker showed incredible vision and audacity - netting from the centre circle to see his side leapfrog Macclesfield to fourth.

The former Stoke City striker took his tally to 28 with a sumptuous 50-yard strike to put the Cheshire outfit on the rails.

His goal was simply sublime, but Dale Bennett’s angled cross-shot goal bordered on the ridiculous to heap more embarrassment on goalkeeper Rhys Taylor.

“Jon has got it in his locker and the goal was out of this world and would grace any football pitch,” said an ecstatic Forest Green boss Ady Pennock.

“I am not sure Dale meant his goal, but he told me he did, so I will take that.

“We move on and have two big games to go now and need to get a win at Gateshead and at home to Dover in the final game.”

Pennock is still rueing the three-point deduction, but he insists his side deserve a shot at the play-offs.

“The boys are desperate to get in the play-offs and they deserve it,” he added.

“If we had the three points deducted at the start of the season we would have breathing space, but we have two cup finals now and we will dig in and see where it takes us.”

Unchanged from the thumping 4-1 Easter Monday victory over Chester City, Rovers came out of the traps at full-throttle and raced ahead after six minutes.

Captain Marcus Kelly produced a pinpoint free-kick for the muscular Aarran Racine to plant a decisive header beyond Rhys Taylor for his second goal in the week.

It was all Rovers. Elliott Frear was blocked by the alert Taylor and then the athletic Kurtis Guthrie directed a header over from a Dale Bennett cross. Stuart Fleetwood stepped on the gas and his stab with the outside of the boot brought a flying save from fully 25 yards.

A goal of sublime skill on 22 minutes made it a dream start. Hot-shot striker Jon Parkin spotted Taylor off his line and placed a stunning 50-yard chip from the centre circle, to put Rovers in dreamland. Parkin certainly milked the occasion as his team-mates queued up for a celebratory handshake from their talisman.

Rovers’ lead lasted barely two minutes when Lee Bell was afforded time to rifle home from 20 yards beyond the dive of Steve Arnold.

Frustrated not to be 2-0 up at the break, Rovers almost gifted Macclesfield parity when a long throw from Grant saw Jack Sampson ghost in unmarked.

Macclesfield started the second half brightly and Sampson should have made it 2-2 from a Matthew Barnes-Homer cross.

Rovers gained a foothold. Kelly released Frear down the left and his shot was touched away for a corner and from the flag-kick Racine glanced wide.

A minute before the hour and Rovers made it 3-1. Guthrie showed composure and neat feet to find the jet-heeled Bennett on the right and his cross from the right caught goalkeeper Taylor out as the ball flew over his glove and into the roof of the net.

Rovers saw the game out and Arnold gained confidence with two decent saves.

Forest Green: Arnold; Bennett, Clough, Racine, Kelly; Fleetwood (Marwood 90), Pipe, Sinclair, Frear; Parkin, Guthrie.

Subs not used: Bender, Coles, Kamdjo, Russell.

Attendance 1,714.

Star Man: Aarran Racine. Another goal and a masterclass performance at the back for Rovers.