SKY BET LEAGUE TWO

FOREST GREEN ROVERS 0

CREWE ALEXANDRA 0

Forest Green and Crewe Alexandra both missed the chance to top the table as they fired blanks in a scoreless draw.

Earlier, head coach Mark Cooper opted to recall suspension-free Liam Kitching in a rejigged back-four.

Striker Aaron Collins started on the bench in a tactical switch seeing Celtic loanee Jack Aitchison pushed up alongside Matty Stevens.

Crewe dominated the ball for the opening three minutes, but it was Rovers who grabbed the near decisive moment just sixty seconds later – Dom Bernard’s incisive run saw the darting Aitchison blocked as he pulled the trigger inside the box.

It was nip and tuck. The fleet-footed Tom Lowery was Crewe’s attacking threat, the red-booted winger giving Kitching plenty to think about. Joe Wollacott’s speed of thought denied Owen Dale who skipped beyond a statuesque defence.

Kitching presented Chris Porter with an opportunity to nose the Alex ahead on 25 minutes. Porter chipping Wollacott from the edge of the box but watching the ball drop wide.

At the other end, Aitchison planted his strike wide of the bottom corner as the game remained in deadlock.

Rovers’ Liam Shephard looked to break the stalemate when standing up a cross for the diving Stevens to see his header blocked.

Referee Charles Breakspear has dished out nine red cards and 68 yellow already this season and he made it 69 of the yellow variety on the cusp of the break, carding Rovers’ lunging defender Kitching.

Deep into first-half stoppage-time Will Jaaskelainen did well to punch away Bernard’s close-range drive.

Crewe dominated the ball for the opening three minutes, but it was Rovers who grabbed the near decisive moment just sixty seconds later – Dom Bernard’s incisive run saw the darting Aitchison blocked as he pulled the trigger inside the box.

It was nip and tuck. The fleet-footed Tom Lowery was Crewe’s attacking threat, the red-booted winger giving Kitching plenty to think about. Joe Wollacott’s speed of thought denied Owen Dale who skipped beyond a statuesque defence.

Kitching presented Chris Porter with an opportunity to nose the Alex ahead on 25 minutes. Porter chipping Wollacott from the edge of the box but watching the ball drop wide.

At the other end, Aitchison planted his strike wide of the bottom corner as the game remained in deadlock.

Rovers’ Liam Shephard looked to break the stalemate when standing up a cross for the diving Stevens to see his header blocked.

Referee Charles Breakspear has dished out nine red cards and 68 yellow already this season and he made it 69 of the yellow variety on the cusp of the break, carding Rovers’ lunging defender Kitching.

Deep into first-half stoppage-time Will Jaaskelainen did well to punch away Bernard’s close range drive.

Farrend Rawson bagged an early second-half booking.

Crewe came close to taking the lead when Ryan Wintle’s 55th-minute howitzer from the edge of the box deflected onto the post after Perry Ng carved open Rovers up.

Ebou Adams spanked over from 25 yards following a buccaneering run as Rovers knocked on the Crewe door.

Cooper turned to forward Junior Mondal with 19 minutes to go, sacrificing defender Matt Mills.

Dale planted a head wide with a minute to go as the game dissolved with the promotion rivals sharing the spoils.

 Forest Green Rovers: Wollacott, Bernard, M Mills (Mondal 71), Rawson, Kitching; J Mills, Adams, Winchester, Shephard, Aitchison (Collins 82), Stevens

Bookings: Kitching 43, Rawson 49, M Mills 66

Subs not used: Thomas, Taylor, McGinley, Dawson, Morton

Crewe Alexandra: Jaaskelainen, Ng, Pickering, Wintle, Nolan, Porter, Kirk (Powell 80), Green, Hunt (Mbula 76), Lowery (Jones 86), Dale

Subs not used: Richards, Ainley, Finney, Anene

Attendance: 2,192

Away fans: 216

Referee: Charles Breakspear

Star Man: Dom Bernard Next up: Forest Green welcome League Two rivals Carlisle in the second round of the FA Cup on Saturday, 3pm