FOREST GREEN LEGENDS 3

TREVOR HORSLEY LEGENDS 4

PLAYERS from yesteryear served up a fitting tribute to inspirational former Forest Green chairman Trevor Horsley.

In a charity game staged in Horsley’s, memory, with proceeds going to Longfield Hospice Care for the Cotswolds, it was Andy Mangan’s decisive 90th minute winner, which claimed 4-3 victory for Trevor Horsley’s Legends’ side against a Forest Green outfit, managed by iconic for ex-boss Frank Gregan.

The waistlines were thicker and the hair greyer, but this FGR side were up for it. Paul Hunt was full of youthful vim and vigor and Marc McGregor proved he still had an eye for goal. Danny Bailey bossed the middle of the park as Gregan barked out instructions from the touchline, it was 1999 all over again. 

Trevor Horsley’s side, managed by former Woking manager Garry Hill, started on the front foot. A relative youngster on the day, Stuart Fleetwood, who once pocketed Forest Green a cool £200,000 from a move to Charlton, fizzed in a strike that Steve Perrin fell on like a cat catching a mouse.

However, it was FGR Legends who raced into an 11th minute lead. Paul Hunt finishing with customary aplomb after sumptuous team play from Jimmy Rollo and a superb cross from the wand of Alex Sykes.

Perrin was certainly rolling back the years and he was at his imperious best, flicking out a glove to deny the lively Fleetwood, who now ply’s his trade at Southern League outfit Swindon Supermarine.

A muscle injury forced Perrin off on 20 minutes – replaced by current Cheltenham Town goalkeeping coach Steve Book and his first slice of action was to pick the ball out of the net as Fleetwood’s stab squirmed under his body to level things up on 22 minutes.

Superlative double saves from Joe Snell denied Hunt and he did even better to tip a Steve Winter howitzer onto the bar.

FGR Legends were back in the game on 33 minutes. McGregor sending Snell the wrong way from the penalty spot after Sykes hand been upended.

From the re-start Mangan tried an audacious shot from the centre circle, but Book got back to touch the ball onto the bar.

On the cusp of the break, Hunt pointed to the pitch after his air shot destroyed what would have been the gloss on a stunning team move. Hunt and Sykes comically repairing a divot. It got even more comical when McGregor nonchalantly prepared to walk the ball in, but Gary Probert appeared from nowhere to block on the line.

TH Legends were quickly out of the second-half blocks – Mangan chipping Book and watching the ball kiss the top of the bar.

They deservedly netted parity when Mangan’s strike went under the sprawling Book from a Lee Fowler assist.

An exasperated Mangan, deemed offside, offered the assistant referee his shirt and was subsequently booked – all bookings going into the fund-raising pot.

With seven minutes to go – Jim Rollo arrowed a ball into the box for McGregor to plant a downward header, which sub keeper Aaron Reid somehow managed to scoop onto the bar.

McGregor thought he had won the game for the FGR old boys on 85 minutes – slotting beyond Reid from a Scott Rogers through ball.

Two minutes later Fleetwood made it 3-3 from the penalty spot after Liam Horsley had been shoved in the back by Steve Jones. 

TH Legends snatched victory on 90 minutes. Fleetwood haired down the right to find Fowler, who picked out Mangan to touch home. It  was perhaps fitting his celebration was right in front of the specially commissioned Trevor Horsley flag.

Forest Green Legends: Steve Perrin, Jim Rollo, Mile Kilgour, Matt Coupe, Steve Winter, Tommy Callinan Danny Bailey, Ian Hedges, Alex Sykes, Marc McGregor, Wayne Hatswell, Scott Rogers, Rob Cousins, Steve Jones, Brad Thomas, Steve Book

Manager: Frank Gregan

Assistant: Chris Smith

Trevor Horsley Legends: Joe Snell, David Ballinger, Liam Horsley, Jamie Ponting, Matt Helier, Jack Edge, Carl Horsley, Adam Bedwell, Lee Fowler, Stuart Fleetwood,Ben Jones, Adam Coyle Yan Klukowski, George Price, Gary Probert, Grant Hill, Matt Mauler, Andy Mangan, Aaron Reid, Mike Bulbeck

Manager: Garry Hill

Assistant: Darren Perrin

Star Man: Stuart Fleetwood