BLUE SQUARE PREMIER: FOREST GREEN O BATH CITY O (From Gazette Series)

BLUE SQUARE PREMIER: FOREST GREEN O BATH CITY O

LOCAL derbies normally produce games full of gusto and guts, but whilst at times Forest Green's first league derby encounter with Bath City for 13 years threatened this - it was hardly a game to get pulses raising.

STAR MAN: Ian Herring

Earlier, Forest Green boss Dave Hockaday dropped player-coach Craig Armstrong to the bench and recalled midfielder Mike Fowler, who was rested for the mid-week victory at Hayes and Yeading. Defender Scott Bartlett came into the squad for the first time against his former club, following his groin problem, but Jared Hodgkiss (knee) and striker Ross Dyer (thigh) continued to be sidelined. Jon Else, who scored the winner at Hayes started his first game of the season in place of the injured James Norwood.

Former Bristol Rovers midfielder Lewis Hogg and the City skipper was shown a straight red card midway through the second half after diving in two-footed on Lee Fowler, but despite their numerical disadvantage the Romans dug in to gain a deserved point. Three woeful misses by Rovers striker Reece Styche set the tone, while Else was twice denied by the woodwork.

City's defence failed to deal with an Ian Herring long throw and from Yan Klukowski's header the ball fell perfectly for Else eight yards out but his second minute shot grazed the outside of the post. It was the cue for a bright start by the home side, who pegged City back in the opening ten minutes.

Herring's long throws were a potent weapon and when the right-back hurled in another dangerous ball in the 17th minute, Klukowski's header dropped onto the roof of the net with former Forest Green keeper Ryan Robinson beaten.

A ball over the City defence from Else then threatened to release Styche four minutes later but the striker was dragged down by Danny Webb, earning the visiting centre-half the first booking of the afternoon.

City did get a sight of the Rovers goal 60 seconds later when an incisive flick from Adie Harris found former Cheltenham Town midfielder Adam Connolly, who turned Luke Jones on the edge of the box but thumped his left-foot shot just over the bar.

Styche became the second player in the book in the 28th minute, but will feel hard done by in a 50-50 challenge from a Lee Fowler free kick, with Robinson fumbling the ball.

Lee Smith fizzed a shot well wide from 25 yards soon after. The tempo rose with the impressive Herring and Harris getting the crowd fired up with a no-holds-barred but fair tackle. City almost took the lead two minutes before the break when Jones former Forest Green striker Kaid Mohamed to turn and fire in a low shot which keeper James Bittner did well to push round the near post. .

The biggest cheer of a scrappy first half came right on the stroke of half-time when Hogg sliced an attempted cross and managed to knock a policeman's helmet off.

Rovers made a bright start to the first half. Curtis McDonald found Else out on the left, the winger made ground into the box, but Styche hit a powder-puff effort against Gethin Jones on 52 minutes. Bath survived again in the 58th minute when Lee Fowler's looping corner was met by Else at the back stick but his header came off the outside of the post.

Rovers manager Hockaday had made his first change of the game moments before then, sending on Steve Davies for Lee Smith, while Britton replaced Mohamed with Jake Reid just after the hour mark.

A fine move from Rovers saw Herring find Lee Fowler who swept a ball out wide for Else to beat former Forest Green defender Sekani Simpson only for Styche to force a weak attempt. Two minutes later Hogg was shown a straight red card following an awful challenge. The City captain over-ran the ball in midfield and, as he attempted to regain possession, dived in two-footed on Rovers midfielder Lee Fowler who did well to avoid the lunge.

Rovers cranked up the pressure. Styche again should have done better when he twice managed to get behind the City defence in quick succession. However, he blazed his first effort well over the bar before rolling a cross-shot into Robinson. Those misses almost came back to haunt the Rovers in the 78th minute when Connolly dispossessed Lee Fowler and surged to the edge of the box before rolling in Reid, whose low shot was superbly saved by Bittner.

Rovers were forced to make their second change of the afternoon when former Bath City player Klukowski fell awkwardly and limped off to be replaced by James Baldwin.

City had to survive a barrage of corners during injury-time and a Herring drive, which deflected just wide.

FOREST GREEN ROVERS: Bittner, Herring, Jones, Smith (Davies 57), M Fowler, Styche, L Fowler, Else, Klukowski (Baldwin 80), Caines, McDonald.

Subs not used: Bartlett, Armstrong, Grimes.

BATH CITY: Robinson, Simpson, Jombati, Jones, Webb, Connolly, Canham, Harris, Hogg, Mohamed (Reid 61), Phillips (Mackie 67).

Subs not used: Rollo, Coupe, Edwards.

REFEREE: Marvyn Amplett (Worcester FA).

ATTENDANCE: 1,464 (271 Bath City fans).

STAR MAN: Ian Herring (Forest Green).