JORDAN Garrick's first-half goal was enough for Forest Green Rovers to end their 16-game winless run in League One as they shocked high-flying Sheffield Wednesday on Sunday.

Garrick poked home a low cross from the right in the 35th minute to give Duncan Ferguson’s men the lead after a dominant first-half display from Rovers.

Second-placed Wednesday came close to equalising in the 67th minute but Lee Gregory was denied by the combined efforts of Ross Doohan and Udoka Godwin-Malife.

Doohan pulled off a fine save to repel Marvin Johnson as time ticked away, with Rovers recording a first win since December and their first under boss Ferguson, who replaced Ian Burchnall in late January. They are, however, 11 points from safety.

Stroud News and Journal: The Forest Green bench celebrate at full-timeThe Forest Green bench celebrate at full-time (Image: Wayne Tuckwell)

The game was selected for the Sky Sports TV cameras on Sunday with international football taking centre stage elsewhere.

Wednesday came into the clash looking to bounce back from their defeat at Barnsley, a result that ended their 23-match unbeaten run, and were big favourites to do so given the teams' respective seasons. 

After an opening fifteen minutes which saw Rovers attack on the front foot, they would step up their advances as Charlie Savage forced a superb stop from Owls 'keeper Cameron Dawson.  

Having been called back into the starting 11, it would be Garrick that got the game's only goal in the 35th minute.

Stroud News and Journal: Jordan Garrick celebrates his goal in the first-halfJordan Garrick celebrates his goal in the first-half (Image: Wayne Tuckwell)

Dom Bernard lifted the ball into the path of Garrick, who found the net with a composed finish from close-range, firing the ball past Dawson on his favoured right-foot. 

Into the second-half, Rovers continued to try and extend their lead and they came so close to doing just that when Dawson produced a brilliant save to deny Kyle McAllister's strike.

But Wednesday grew into the game, as expected, and began to create chances. The best of those fell to Lee Gregory but after a top save from Ross Doohan and help from defender Udoka Godwin-Malife, the duo ultimately kept the ball out of the net.  

Tension continued to ramp up at The Bolt New Lawn as the Owls kept pushing for an equaliser, but it just wouldn’t come to fruition.  

Ferguson’s side would defend magnificently to earn a much-deserved victory at home, with the full-time whistle concluding an excellent performance from Rovers against tough opposition.