NATIONAL LEAGUE PROMOTION FINAL

Forest Green 1

Grimsby Town 3

Grimsby Town boss Paul Hurst dubbed this Promotion Final the 'second-biggest' game in British football and he watched his side return to the Football League for the first time in six years to break Forest Green’s Wembley dreams and hearts.

But Rovers certainly gave it their  best shot in a thriller at the national stadium.

Scott Bartlett’s side were stung by an Omar Bogle quick-fire double as the leggy striker struck picked-off Rovers in the 40th and 43rd minutes to end their exile in the National League.

A Keanu Marsh-Brown beauty offered Rovers hope, but Grimsby had the last laugh with a Nathan Arnold stoppage time third.

Interim-boss Bartlett had his hand forced before kick-off with Rob Sinclair missing due to a recurrence of his hamstring niggle – his place in the midfield engine room was taken by David Pipe.

Ben Jefford retained a spot at left-back ahead of James Jennings. Kieffer Moore, who hand an appendix operation on Friday, saw his position on the bench taken by Anthony Jeffrey.

Grimsby know Wembley like the back of their hand, but it was Rovers, who started brightly at a sun-kissed national stadium – Pipe sending a header just over from an Elliott Frear dead ball after Dale Bennett had been upended by Gregor Robertson.

Grimsby responded – Craig Disley firing in a right-footed curler ,which demanded a scrambling save from Steve Arnold.

If Steve Arnold’s first save was  eye-catching his second was a worldy.

Somehow he gloved a point-blank Omar Bogle downward header off the line as the net began to flinch.

It was high-octane stuff – Rovers swept forward and Kurtis Guthrie was a toe-touch from prodding his side ahead from a teasing Marsh-Brown cross.

Marsh-Brown was coming more into the game, and his ball into the box broke to Frear who was denied by a last-ditch block from Richard Tait.

He then tried his luck from 25 yards with the ball taking a dangerous rebound off the chest of Grimsby keeper James McKewon.

Nathan Arnold thought he had given the Mariners the lead on 40 minutes.

His 25-yard fizzer looked destined to be a Wembley classic, but Steve Arnold somehow put up a long right lever to finger the ball onto the post.

Two minutes later and Grimsby were ahead. A launched free-kick into the Rovers’ box saw Bogle climb highest to give the men from Cleethorpes the lead.

Shell-shocked Rovers were stung and three minutes later Bogle had his second. Steve Arnold spilled his namesakes strike from outside the box and Bogle was on hand to smash in his gift.

Rovers turned to veteran striker Jon Parkin at the break in place of Brett Williams  as they looked to make a fist of it.

Bartlett also opted to play three at the back in an adventurous ploy to find a foothold in the tie.

Parkin blew the clearest of opportunities five minutes after the restart.

Marsh-Brown’s cross from the right opened Grimsby up, but Parkin somehow contrived to shoot wide with a gapping net ready to accept the ball.

Rovers were champing at the bit. Charlie Clough only need a clean strike inside the box, but he totally miskicked inside the Grimsby six-yard box.

Pressure told and it took a sumptuous Marsh-Brown curler to get his side back into the match on the hour.

Guthrie and Parkin teed him up and the maverick winger planted a swinger beyond the flailing McKeown to send the fans into ecstasy.

Grimsby were struggling to break from the Forest Green shackles, but Nathan Arnold hit a skidder, which Steve Arnold did well to block.

The Mariners weathered the storm as Rovers ran out of gas.

And in the dying embers Parkin spanked a strike over as their Football League dream ended at the home of football.

And it was all over as Grimsby rubber-stamped their win in the fifth-minute of stoppage time through Nathan Arnold.

Forest Green (4-4-2): S Arnold; D Bennett, A Racine (c), C Clough, B Jefford (J Jennings, 71); K Marsh-Brown, D Carter, D Pipe, E Frear; K Guthrie (A Jeffrey, 78), B Williams (J Parkin, 46).

Subs not used: J Maxted, C Kamdjo.

Grimsby Town: J McKeown; R Tait, A Nsiala, J Gowling, G Robertson; N Arnold (S Pearson, 90), C Disley (c), C Clay, J Nolan; O Bogle (P Hoban, 90), P Amond (J Pittman, 80).

Subs not used: M Marshall, D East.

Ref: R Jones.

Att: 17,198.

Star Man: Keanu Marsh-Brown - Outstanding performance at the national stadium and capped it with a worldy.