BROMLEY 1

FOREST GREEN 5

FIVE-STAR Forest Green made it 13 goals in three games as they returned to winning ways with a scintillating display at Bromley.

And with leaders Lincoln City in FA Cup action and Tranmere without a game, Mark Cooper’s third-placed side cut the lead at the top to three points.

In-form Christian Doidge bagged a brace with his 12th and 13th strikes of the season and the goal avalanche saw Elliott Frear, Keanu Marsh-Brown and Ethan Pinnock hit the target as Rovers ended their  six-game winless streak.

Earlier, Cooper made two changes to the team from the Torquay United 5-5. Kieffer Moore was ruled out on Saturday morning with a slight niggle, with Elliott Frear afforded a starting place.Manny Monthe came in to the back four with Ethan Pinnock moving into midfield in place of Darren Carter.

A goalkeeping masterclass from Bromley’s Alan Julian prevented even more as Rovers turned on the style in south London.

Rovers started on the front foot – Frear’s skidder demanding a fine save from Julian.

Rovers were at it - Frear again prominent - and he watched his delicate dink drop over the bar from a Doidge flick.

Bromley looked a threat on the break, but it was Rovers and Charlie Clough, who should have opened the scoring on 18 minutes, but he contrived to plant his diving header wide from a pin-point Rob Sinclair corner.

Marsh-Brown showed a deft touch to fizz one wide from a raking Liam Noble pass as Rovers tried to break the deadlock, but the goal duly arrived on 28 minutes. Rob Sinclair drove forward to find the lurking Frear, who finished with aplomb from just inside the box.

Rovers looked comfortable, but with nine minutes of the first-half remaining Sam Russell superbly clawed a stinger away from Blair Tuggott, who turned and thumped in a sumptuous hit from the edge of the box.

Bromley found some energy, but Rovers delivered the perfect riposte on the cusp of the interval. Noble wrested possession to set Frear free and his crisp cross was thumped home by Doidge for his- third goal in as many games.

Rovers were quickly out the traps, but were caught cold when Rob Swaine thumped home from a 50th- minute Jordan Higgs cross.

But they dug in and a minute later they were 3-1 up – Noble set Marsh-Brown free and he fizzed across Julian and in off the post from an acute angle.

The pace was unrelenting and just three minutes on it was Rovers who rippled the net again. Ethan Pinnock rose to nod beyond Julian from a Marsh-Brown free-kick.

Lee Minshull fluffed his lines with a glaring miss from a Jordan Anderson cross as shell-shocked Bromley looked for an opening.

Cooper made changes with Fabien Robert, Charlie Cooper and Shamir Mullings entering the fray for Frear (dead leg), Marsh-Brown (tight hamstring) and Sinclair.

Only a stunning block from Julian denied Rovers a fifth. Cooper supplied Noble and his deft pass found Doidge, who was thwarted at point-blank range.

Julian was Bromley’s star man and he was on his mettle to deny a Mullings hit as Rovers hunted a fifth.

Frustration grew for the London outfit and Swaine was red-carded for a lunge on Doidge.

Deep into stoppage-time Noble gave his marker the eyes to deliver a pass for Doidge to thump beyond Julian and celebrate with the fans behind the goal on a memorable day for Rovers.

Forest Green: (4-3-3) Russell; Bennett, Clough, Monthe, Wishart; Pinnock, Sinclair (Mullings, 72), Noble; Marsh-Brown (Cooper,65), Doidge, Frear (Robert,57).

Subs not used: Carter, Kelly.

Attendance: 1, 247

Star Man: Liam Noble. Drove the team on from midfield.