FOREST GREEN 1

CHELTENHAM TOWN 1

FOREST GREEN and Cheltenham Town shared the spoils at The New Lawn.

The Gloucestershire derby saw Tyrone Barnett give Cheltenham the lead on 26 minutes as he reacted sharply to rifle home after Forest Green goalkeeper Robert Sanchez had parried Luke Varney's penalty. 

Rovers netted parity when Joseph Mills nodded home with 15 minutes to go as Mark Cooper's side posted their ninth draw from 14 games.

Earlier,  Cooper tinkered with his line-up following his side’s first league defeat of the season at Northampton.

Cooper relegated Reece Brown and LIoyd James to the bench – Bournemouth loanee Matt Worthington slotting into midfield alongside Paul Digby.

Elsewhere, George Williams came in for the injured Reuben Reid as Cooper started the game without a recognised striker.

It was predictably a blood-and-thunder start, no quarter given.

Cheltenham started to gain a foothold – Jacob Maddox pulling the trigger from the edge of the box only to be denied by the sprawling Robert Sanchez with 22 minute gone.

Sanchez pressed the self-destruct button minutes later – having his pocket picked by Tyrone Barnett and bringing the burly striker down.

Luke Varney spanked the penalty into the gloves of Sanchez, but Cheltenham reacted quickly for Barnett to drill home the free ball, handing the visitors a 26th-minute advantage.

Rovers responded – Theo Archibald banging the ball high, wide and not very handsome.

Rovers have been abject, but flickered into life - George Williams firing over after Ryan Broom has his pocket-picked.

Cooper had seen enough - Nathan McGinley and Williams were hooked off for Gavin Gunning and Tahvon Campbell.

However ,Cheltenham hit the ground running. Liam McAlinden denied a certain second goal for Cheltenham, but the razor-sharp reflexes of Sanchez proved decisive.

Cooper rolled his dice for the final time – ushering on Reece Brown for Worthington with 35 minutes to go.

Brown gave Rovers fresh impetus – pulling the midfield strings.

Isolated in the first-half as a striker, Dayle Grubb looked more at ease on the left, cutting in on his right, he skewed wide from the edge of the box as Rovers knocked on the door.

Varney thought he had made it two for Cheltenham, but his effort was ruled out for a nudge on sub Gunning.

Rovers netted parity with 15 minutes left on the clock. Mills getting his head on the ball from a Theo Archibald corner.

Rovers started to find their range and Winchester almost snatched a late goal after great passing from Brown picked out the energetic Mills, who picked out Winchester, his looping header was cleared off the line by Cheltenham captain Johnny Mullins.

Forest Green: (4-3-3) Sanchez; Shephard, Rawson, McGinley (Gunning 45), Mills; Worthington, (Brown 55), Digby, Winchester; Archibald, Grubb, Williams (Campbell 45)

Subs not used: Montgomery, Campbell, Pearce, James, Brown, Gunning, Collins.

Cheltenham Town: Flinders; Alcock, Mullins, Boyle, Hussey; Maddox (Tozer 82), Atangana, Broom, Dawson (McAlinden 21); Varney, Barnett (Mooney 55). Subs not used: Lovett, Jones, Addai, Forster.

Attendance: 3,582.

Away: 682

Referee: Peter Bankes

Next up: Forest Green welcome Tranmere Rovers to the New Lawn on Tuesday, 7.45pm.