FOREST GREEN 4

BARROW 0

STRIKER Aaron O’Connor bagged a brace as Forest Green went top of the Vanarama National League.

Ady Pennock’s side made it three wins from three against a Barrow side reduced to nine men.

Kurtis Guthrie and Aarran Racine were also on target in a dominant Rovers display.

Earlier, Pennock sprung a pre-match surprise by omitting left-back Marcus Kelly for James Jennings. Striker Jon Parkin missed out with a slight hamstring problem.

Marquee summer signing Keanu Marsh-Brown came in for Parkin. Meanwhile, goalkeeper Steve Arnold and defender Charlie Clough were handed spots on the bench.

The opening exchanges saw Conference North champions Barrow start brightly enough, but the game exploded on 17 minutes in Rovers’ favour.

Winger Elliott Frear cut the ball back for Rob Sinclair, who saw his shot handled by Barrow defender Danny Livesey. In the ensuing protests –Livesey was dealt a red.

O’Connor took responsibility from the spot to give his side a 19th minute lead.

Rovers had their tails up and Marsh-Brown and Frear brought sprawling saves from Joel Dixon.

The ten men of Barrow found themselves 2-0 down as they struggled to cope with numerical disadvantage.

Guthrie swept home a 28th minute second from Frear corner.

Rovers went for the jugular –Marsh-Brown fizzing wide from 30 yards.

O’Connor was inches away from his second after a free-flowing move. Dale Bennett picked out Marsh-Brown, who watched his arrowed cross flicked wide from a smart O’Connor header.

Barrow’s unhappy first half was compounded with Steve Williams and former Forest Green striker Jason Walker booked for lunges on Guthrie and Frear respectively.

Barrow found some luck when Guthrie had a goal rightly chalked-off for offside.

Rovers were close to a third in the dying embers of a high-octane first half, but Barrow keeper Dixon stood up well to thwart O’Connor from a slide-rule Marsh-Brown assist.

Barrow need a strong opening to the second half and they nearly got it through an Andy Haworth stinger, but Maxted’s strong hands thwarted the danger.

David Mellor added to the flurry of Barrow yellow cards as he unceremoniously took the legs of the leggy Guthrie.

Rovers scored a stunning third on 65 minutes. Jennings turned defence into attack to release the jet-healed Frear, who found Guthrie to spot O’Connor at the back-post for his second of the game.

Five minutes later O’Connor left the field to a standing ovation as he made way for Delano Sam-Yorke.

Four seconds later defender Racine nodded home from a Frear corner for a game over fourth.

Pennock made changes from the bench, but this failed to disrupt Rovers’ flow.

Frear almost capped a great display with a strike saved by Dixon and Marsh-Brown saw his mazy run demand another stop from Dixon as Rovers finished on a high.

At the death, Barrow were reduced to nine, as Williams kicked out at Guthrie to make it a day to forget for the Cumbrian outfit.

Forest Green: Maxted; Pipe, Bennett, Racine, Jennings; Marsh-Brown, Sinclair (Kelly 84), Wedgbury (Kamdjo 74), Frear; Guthrie, O'Connor (Sam-Yorke 71).

Subs not used: Clough, Arnold.

Crowd: 1,2017.

Away fans: 94.

Star Man: Elliott Frear. Two assists from the fleet-footed winger in another eye-catching display.