SKYBET LEAGUE TWO
CHESTERFIELD 3
FOREST GREEN 2
LEAGUE TWO form horses Forest Green were unseated at bottom of the table Chesterfield.
Jak McCourt’s brace and a Kristian Dennis goal saw Jack Lester’s side make it back-to-back wins in a game which saw Forest Green sub-Manny Monthe red carded just three minutes after coming on.
In-form Christian Doidge pulled two goals back after the break, his 10th and 11th goals of the season.
Unsurprisingly, on the back of a five-game unbeaten run and top of the league two form table, boss Mark Cooper named an unchanged side.
An uneventful opening 20 minutes suddenly sparked into life, with Chesterfield grabbing a 22nd minute lead. Andy Kellett whipped in a free-kick and McCourt touched the ball beyond the reach of Chelsea loanee Brad Collins.
Rovers responded with their first shot in anger on 37 minutes. Diminutive midfielder Reece Brown found space on the edge of the box and spanked a shot which Joe Anyon turned away.
Lacklustre in the first-half, boss Cooper made two changes at the break. Monthe and Dan Wishart coming on for Drissa Traore and Scott Laird.
However, Monthe lasted just three minutes as he was handed a straight red card for bringing down Joe Rowley.
Reduced to 10 men, Rovers found themselves 2-0 down on 54 minutes – McCourt firing home through Brad Collins.
McCourt was hunting his hat-trick and his cross shot was turned onto his own crossbar by Rovers’ captain Lee Collins.
Rovers have a fighting spirit and Doidge grabbed a lifeline on the hour as he pulled a goal back after good work from Dale Bennett.
The Spireites came close to a third, but a great block from Alex Iacovitti frustrated Louis Reed.
Kristian Dennis made the game safe for Chesterfield with nine minutes to go, finishing smartly.
In the dying embers of stoppage-time a Brown free-kick saw Doidge plant home a header for his second of the game.
Forest Green Rovers: (3-5-1-1) B Collins; Fitzwater, Collins ©, Iacovitti; Laird (Wishart,45), Traore (Monthe,45), Osbourne, Marsh-Brown (James, 78 ), Bennett; Brown; Doidge
Subs not used: Pickering, Randall, Roberts, Bugiel
Attendance: 4,306
FGR fans: 93
Referee: Mr Robert Jones
Next up: Forest Green Vs Cheltenham Town, Saturday, November 25, 3pm.
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