Blue Square Premier - Crawley Town 3 Forest Green 0.

FOREST GREEN manager Jim Harvey pinpointed defensive slackness as the mitigating factor behind their 3-0 defeat at Crawley Town on Saturday, writes Tom Gurney.

The Nailsworth side leaked three goals for the third successive match as Jamie Stevens' opener and a Jamie Cook brace saw Crawley romp home.

Harvey said: "In the first half, Chris Giles and Darren Jones won every header, we had really good opportunities and looked exciting.

"But we lost our way in the second half and the goals changed our mentality.

"We left our responsibilities as individuals behind. No doubt we will conceded goals again but we must sharpen up defensively.

"The players are good enough, they just lost their concentration."

All eyes were on former Forest Green striker Guy Madjo. The Cameroon hitman had found the net inside the first 12 minutes in each of his previous four games and almost did it again.

The muscular frontman found space down the inside right channel, cut inside defender Anthony Tonkin and had a rasping shot beaten away by keeper Ryan Robinson.

Rovers looked good going forward, mainly through the pace of Stuart Fleetwood, and they went close after 22 minutes. Jamie Pitman unleashed a powerful curling drive from 25 yards which beat the diving Ashley Bayes but, fortunately for Crawley, also the left hand post.

Play quickly switched to the other end and visiting defender Darren Jones was forced to make a superb last-ditch clearance to deny Madjo after good work by Tyron Thompson.

Reds were given another warning of Rovers' potency shortly after the half-hour. Fleetwood was put through on goal by former Crawley defender Chris Giles, rounded Bayes and slotted home but his celebrations were cut short by an offside flag.

Rovers started the second half well and forced Bayes into a diving save when Simon Clist's free kick was deflected on its way to goal. Fleetwood then had a shot from 12 yards blocked by Pablo Mills after a good cross from Les Afful.

The Reds took the lead on 53 minutes. Madjo recovered an overhit corner by Cook and lofted a cross back into the box for defender Stevens, who sent a volley into the top of the net. Crawley dominated after the goal and thought they had doubled their advantage on 64 minutes when Madjo lost Robinson.

But the strike was ruled out for a foul by Madjo on Giles in the build up. Madjo muscled past the Rovers defence and had a shot parried by Robinson and Cook was quickest to react and blasted home from eight yards.

Cook killed of Rovers with 11 minutes remaining. He exchanged passes with Dannie Bulman and fired a low angled drive into the bottom corner.

Crawley Town: Bayes, Bull, Mills, Stevens, Krause (Wilson 46), Bulman, Pinault, Thompson, Cook (Evans 87), Pittman (Vieira 89), Madjo.

Subs Not Used: Clapham, Joseph-Dubois.

Forest Green: Robinson, Hardiker (Brough 69), Jones, Giles, Tonkin, Afful, Pitman, Clist, Dodgson (Stonehouse 69), Beesley, Fleetwood.

Subs Not Used: Burton, Preece, Smith.

Attendance: 982.

Star man: Les Afful.

*Forest Green welcome Cambridge United on Saturday (3pm). Rovers will be operating a kids go free scheme. The offer applies to children under-16.

*Rovers are set to entertain Bristol Rovers next Wednesday in the GFA Cup quarter final, 7pm.

*Forest Green women's team face QPR in the FA Cup at Slimbridge on Sunday, 2pm.