Tranmere Rovers 0-4 Forest Green Rovers - match report

Matt Stevens and Jamille Matt gave the impressive visitors a 2-0 half time lead before Jordan Taylor-Moore and Regan Hendry added two more to complete an unexpected rout in front of Rovers’ biggest gate of the season.

Micky Mellon made one change to the side that secured victory at Crawley Town last Saturday, bringing in fit-again Nat Knight-Percival at centre back in place of Sam Foley.

Tranmere’s great run of form combined with excitement over new signings and a lack of Premier League games this weekend heightened local interest in this fixture. The result was a fantastic crowd, well in excess of 11,000.

Rovers first chance arrived in the third minute, when what appeared to be a mis-hit cross from Kieron Morris, deceived Luke McGee in the Forest Green goal and almost dropped into the far corner of the net.

But it was the visitors who took the lead in the sixth minute when right back Kane Wilson – once a Tranmere player himself – got the wrong side of Calum MacDonald and pulled the ball back for Stevens to side foot home from six yards out.

The league leaders appeared to be good value for their position in the table, forcing Rovers to defend their 18-yard box and stretching the play, with Wilson the chief tormentor down Tranmere’s left-hand side.

Forest Green went close to doubling their lead when Nicolas Cadden drilled a shot from the edge of the box that evaed a touch in the six-yard box and drifted just wide of the post.

Shortly before the half hour mark, Jay Spearing got to grips with the midfield and started to create opportunities as a consequence.

Charlie Jolley had a decent chance to draw the sides level but could only slice his shot wide under pressure.

But the Birkenhead Rovers suffered a blow three minutes before half time when Cadden pulled the ball back from the by-line once more and this time it was Jamille Matt who side-footed home from close range for a 2-0 half time away lead.

Tranmere’s players felt aggrieved after referee Lee Swabey failed to award a free kick higher up the pitch after a clear foul on Spearing.

Mellon made a change at the break, bringing on Elliot Nevitt for Jolley in an effort to cause more problems up front.

The response was initially positive with both Nevitt and Kieron Morris driving the hosts forward in successive attacks.

But Rob Edwards’ side only needed seven minutes of the second half to score a third, when Moore-Taylor collected a pass inside the box and smashed the ball past Ross Doohan into the net.

“We’re going to win the league,” sang the travelling away fans.

In urgent need of additional offensive reinforcements, Mellon brought on new signing Josh Hawkes for Spearing.

The hosts went close to pulling one back on the hour when MacDonald pulled a left-foot drive just wide of the post.

The match was met with delay with 25 minutes to go when Forest Green goalkeeper McGee had a bottle thrown in his direction by fans behind the goal, not once, but twice before a smoke bomb was thrown onto the pitch.

The hold-up enraged Mellon as his captain Peter Clarke dealt with the smoke bomb incident himself. 

No sooner had the game restarted, Forest Green had a fourth. This time Hendry provided the goods when the ball fell to him on the edge of the box unmarked, blastin home from 18 yards.

Josh McPake went close to pulling one back late on for the hosts with a stunning volley, only to be denied by McGee with a full stretch save.

Forest Green were awarded a penalty deep into injury time but Doohan denied Josh March from 12 yards to avoid the humiliation of a fifth.

Tranmere had only conceded once in over 800 minutes of league football heading in to today, but they would have to accept here that they had met their match and must quickly put this disappointment behind them if they want to keep their automatic promotion quest on track, when Stevenage visit Prenton Park on Tuesday evening.

Where there is faith there is light and strength.