Sky Bet League Two

Salford City 0

Forest Green 4

Salford owner Paul Scholes and Roy Keane looked on as rampant Forest Green blew away the Manchester club in emphatic fashion.

The former Manchester United legends cut dejected figures as Matty Stevens, Aaron Collins and Ebou Adams scored their first league goals for Rovers in a breathless first-half.

Stevens smashed a second after the break to catapult Mark Cooper’s side up to fourth as the Gloucestershire outfit scored more than one goal for the first time in the league this season.

Earlier, Cooper made three changes to the team held by bottom-of-the-table Stevenage last time out. Player/coach Matt Mills came in for Farrend Rawson, who missed out after suffering a thigh injury last weekend. Kevin Dawson remained sidelined with a calf injury.

Combative midfielder Adams replaced Kyle Taylor, the Bournemouth loanne serving a one-match ban for his red card. Collins came in for Junior Mondal and partnered Matty Stevens up front.

With the Peninsula Stadium passing a noon pitch inspection, it was Rovers who hit the ground running from the get-go – breaking a four-game goal drought after just three minutes. Adams laid the ball off to the marauding Joseph Mills and his drilled in cross was met by Stevens who smashed the ball beyond Kyle Letheren - his first league goal since his summer move from Peterborough.

Rovers’ blistering start continued. Adams was on the front-foot – winning a free-kick moments after the goal with Joseph Mills forcing a plunging save from Letheren.

Shell-shocked Salford responded. Lewis Thomas had to be on his mettle to deny Carl Piergianni and Lois Maynard.

Rovers banked their second on 15 minutes. Piergianni, under pressure from the scampering Stevens, sold Letheren short for Collins to nip in and steady himself before coolly picking his spot from a tight angle to post a second goal for the first time this season.

The goal tide continued on 31 minutes. The outstanding Adams smashing home a howitzer from the edge of the box.

Salford were showing their frustration. Three bookings in five feisty minutes – Ibou Touray going into the book for a foul on Dom Bernard and Maynard following for a foul on Collins and Mani Dieseruvwe for thundering into Adams.

Salford started the second-half with intent after such an insipid opening 45 minutes for Graham Alexander’s side.

However, Rovers were close to a fourth. Collins whipped in a ball into the box with a sliding Stevens a toe-poke from grabbing his second.

Stevens grabbed his second and Rovers’ fourth on 59 minutes. A scintillating move full of crisp and incisive passing saw Collins wriggle free for Jack Aitchison to apply the pass to allow Stevens to bolt on and finish with unnerving aplomb.

Stevens and Collins were looking a smart combination and only a sliding block from Nathan Pond denied Stevens his hat-trick.

Rovers remained resolute at the back as they kept a clean sheet for the fifth successive game, only conceeding five goals in 11 games.

Salford City: Letheren, Wiseman, Touray, Piergianni, Armstrong, Maynard (Rooney 63 ), Burgess (Jervis 45), Shelton (LIoyd 45), Dieseruvwe, Pond, Jones

Subs not used Hughes, Doyle, Evans, Rodney

Bookings Toure 34, Maynard 38, Dieseruvwe 39

Forest Green Rovers: Thomas, Bernard, Shephard (Godwin-Maliffe 76) , Kitching, M Mill, J Mills, Winchester, Adams, Aitchison (Grubb 85), Stevens, Collins (Mondal 78)

Subs not used: Wollacott, Allen, Morton, McGinley

Bookings: Thomas 51

Star Man: Ebou Adams

Attendance: 2,561

FGR fans: 335

Referee: James Oldham

Next up: Forest Green welcome Crawley Town on Saturday, October 5, (3pm).