Forest Green 2

Chester FC 1

FOREST Green jumped back to the top of the National League with a hard-fought victory over a dogged Chester FC.

Knocked-off their perch following Cheltenham Town’s 1-0 win at Grimsby Town on Friday night, Ady Pennock’s side leap-frogged their Gloucestershire rivals in what is becoming a yo-yo battle at the top.

Earlier it looked like it was going to be a Halloween horror - Chester  grabbing an early lead - but on the day Rovers become the first vegan football club in the world - beefy Jon Parkin and Keanu Marsh-Brown struck back to gobble up a tasty victory.

Parkin's return after three weeks on the treatment table was pivotal with injuries to fellow strikers Aaron O’Connor, Delano Sam-Yorke and the suspended Kurtis Guthrie.

Rovers were far from fluid in the opening exchanges with James Roberts, on loan from Oxford United, forcing an early save from Jonny Maxted.

Rovers were off-colour and Rob Sinclair saw yellow for a fifth-minute lunge on Luke George.

Rovers survived a penalty shout when the normally assured Aarran Racine had his pocket-picked by Craig Mahon, who forced Racine into a recovery challenge that looked suspiciously inside the box as Mahon took a tumble.

However, Chester’s pressure told and they grabbed a 13th minute lead when Ross Hannah appeared to get a touch ahead of Maxted from a Jordan Chappell corner.

Chester were turning the screw – the unmarked Roberts volleyed into the side-netting from an exquisite Tom Shaw cross.

Rovers responded. Ian Sharps surrendered possession for Parkin to burst into the box for Jon Worsnip  to claw Elliott Frear’s near-post strike away.

Worsnip then did well to save a Parkin strike as Rovers started to gain a foothold.

A well-worked corner should have seen Rovers level on 27 minutes. Frear’s  ball was nodded into the box by Racine for the leaping James Jennings to glance over.

Rovers’ first half anxiety was tempered with two goals in a minute.

A sublime 32d minute Parkin goal set the tone and raised the fans decibel levels. The move started with Jennings freeing Darren Carter who escaped his marker for Frear to find Parkin for a neat finish.

The fans and players were now a team as the energy from the crowd transfered to the pitch.

A minute later and Rovers were level. A horror back-pass from Chester’s Ryan Higgins presented Marsh-Brown the chance to finish with silky aplomb.

On the cusp of the interval the dominant Charlie Clough nodded wide from a Carter free-kick as Rovers finished the half with their tails up.

Hannah served notice of his and Chester's  second half intent with an early shot across the face of the goal.

Nonetheless, chances remained scant, but Maxted did well to save with his feet from Shaw and from the corner George should have netted 68th minute parity.

As the warm autumn sun dropped behind the stadium it was Rovers who game close to adding to the score. Carter’s slide-rule pass released the jet-heeled Frear who saw his 78th minute stinger skim the bar.

Chester responded. Johnny Hunt beat Sinclair and stood the ball up for Shaw who somehow glanced his header wide.

Forest Green: Maxted; Bennett, Clough, Racine, Jennings; Wedgbury, Sinclair, Carter (Bender 87); Marsh-Brown (Kelly 74), Parkin, Frear.

Subs not used: Baldwin, Jones, Eve.

Attendance:1,561

Away fans: 215.

Star Man: Sam Wedgbury.