Margate 1

Forest Green 2

FOREST Green avoided a Margate FA Cup giant-killing on the Kent coast as they slipped through the gears to make it into Monday's first round proper draw.

Pink-booted Keanu Marsh-Brown and Kurtis Guthrie helped themselves to their fourth and six goals of the season respectively, but Guthrie incurred a fifth booking and will now miss the league clash against Chester City next week.

Conference South outfit Margate did net parity after the break, but Rovers got through the BT Sport televised tie without any major scares on calm waters by the sea.

Bereft of strikers Jon Parkin, Aaron O’Connor, Delano Sam-Yorke and defenders Darren Jones and captain David Pipe, Rovers were certainly down to the bare bones.

Boss Ady Pennock named Stoke City loanee Dale Eve in goal with Jonny Maxted nursing a shoulder injury.

Meanwhile, James Jennings returned from injury to replace Marcus Kelly and Aarran Racine was named captain.

Forty-one places above Margate, Rovers started brightly and looked comfortable on the ball.

Good link-up play between the eager to attack Dale Bennett and Guthrie saw Elliott Frear’s flick gathered by Gate keeper Nikki Bull.

However, David Hunt’s torpedo throws were a cause of concern as Margate looked increasingly threatening.

Rovers gained a foothold and Darren Carter was frustrated when his crisp strike from the edge of the box was chalked-off with Marsh-Brown caught offside.

Pennock's side took the lead in Kent with four minutes of the half to go through a Marsh-Brown stunner. A driving run from Carter and a Frear cut-back saw Marsh-Brown pick his spot with aplomb.

Margate started the second half with intent, but Charlie Clough got a vital block in as Gate looked to grab an early riposte.

The National League leaders turned the screw. Guthrie demanded a penalty when he turned and fell in the box following link-up play from Marsh-Brown and Carter.

Moments later Guthrie was handed a yellow card when he caught Bull on the ankle following a sloppy Margate back-pass.

At the other end, Jamie Taylor shrugged off Racine, but his final strike was fizzed over.

Defender Clough showed his threat in the Margate box as he  came close to making it 2-0 when the ball dropped to him from an Eve kick and a Guthrie knock-down, but Bull did well to block his crisp strike.

Margate netted parity on 69 minutes. Rovers were caught cold when Luke Moore picked up a knock-down to dink the ball smartly over Eve.

Rovers regained the lead just four minutes later. Carter arrowed a ball into the box, Clough headed the ball across the box for the diving Guthrie to nod in his sixth goal of the season.

Rovers were running the clock down, but  Jennings was close to making it three when he picked up a pass from Sam Wedgbury and rattled the bar from 35 yards with eight minutes to go.

At the death, a huge Eve clearance was nodded on by Guthrie for sub Marcus Kelly who fired over with just Bull to beat.

Forest Green: D Eve; D Bennett, C Clough, A Racine, J Jennings; K Marsh-Brown, R Sinclair, S Wedgbury, D Carter (M Kelly 83), E Frear (T Bender 83); K Guthrie.

Subs not used: A Baldwin, J Stokes, J Maxted.

Star Man: Darren Carter.

Attendance: 1,302