PROMOTION FINAL

FOREST GREEN ROVERS 3

TRANMERE ROVERS 1

FOREST GREEN, the ‘little club on the hill’ scaled the football heights to create history at Wembley.

And how the non-league minnows from Nailsworth deserved their moment in the sun, making their hometown the smallest parish to ever host a Football League club as they stunned Tranmere Rovers to win the National League promotion final at the home of football.

Goals of beauty, including a first-half brace from Wigan loanee Kaiyne Woolery and Christian Doidge’s 27th goal of the season  saw Forest Green reach the promised land of the English Football League Two in a game worth £1.5m to the winners and with it the opportunity to reshape their destiny

And Cooper’s side, backed by green energy tycoon Dale Vince, will now look forward to rubbing shoulders with former FA Cup winners Coventry City, Blackpool, Port Vale, Swindon Town and bitter Gloucestershire rivals Cheltenham Town.

Vince, who rescued the 128-year-old club from the brink of administration in 2010, cut a delighted figure in the Royal Box as captain Noble lifted the National League gong in front of 3,000  ecstatic fans from Gloucestershire.

Described as a ‘visionary’ by Cooper in the build up to Sunday, Vince will now plot an extremely ethical and alternative football journey he feels can go all the way to the Championship.

For Cooper it was a sweet victory after his previous Wembley dreams of leading Swindon Town to the Championship in 2015 were ended by Preston.

Micky Mellon's side were looking to end their two-year stay in non-league football, after their 94 years in the EFL ended with relegation in 2015.

Earlier, Cooper named an unchanged team from the side that defeated Dagenham & Redbridge in the semi-final. However, reserve goalkeeper Simon Lefebvre missed out with a fit again Omar Bugiel taking his place on the bench.

As nerves faded, Forest Green soon settled - Noble curling an early free-kick over after meaty Stephen McNulty had clipped Doidge. However, Forest Green raced into a 12th minute lead, with a sumptuous Woolery skidder from 25 yards.

The goal arrived out of nothing – Woolery picked the ball up from Drissa Traore and was afforded time and space to stride on and plant the ball into the bottom corner of Scott Davies’ inviting net.

If Woolery’s strike was stunning, Connor Jennings’  22nd-minutes parity hit was equally as impressive – picking the ball up in a central position he pulled the trigger to beat the sprawling gloves of Sam Russell.

Forest Green wobbled, but Russell’s quick feet denied former house and team-mate James Norwood, who bolted onto a misdirected Charlie Cooper header.

It was end-to-end. Maverick Keanu Marsh-Brown came a glove away from regaining the lead on 37 minutes – picking up a ball from Noble he stuck out a delicate boot to clip the ball over the retreating Davies, but the Tranmere keeper somehow got back to finger the ball off the line under pressure from Doidge.

Seconds later former Forest Green striker Andy Mangan stretched, but failed to get a connection on a Jennings cross.

It was high-octane, and the roof was lifted on 41 minutes when Noble found Doidge, who finished with aplomb from the edge of the box. Two minutes later and Forest Green  were in 3-1 dreamland - Woolery went through the gears to fizz home from a towering Doidge header.

Shell-shocked Tranmere would have been given a half-time rocket from boss Mellon and they started the second-half on the front-foot.

With one boot in the Football League, Forest Green were indebted to a wonder Russell save. The gloveman somehow stuck out a big hand to claw away  Cole Stockton’s header. Seconds later Russell was caught in possession, but he was relieved to see Stockton clip over the empty goal.

Boss Cooper replaced Marsh-Brown on 61 minutes for Dan Wishart and the sub was quickly in his stride, riding three tackles for Noble to spank one over.

Tranmere huffed and puffed, but found Forest Green in unforgiving mood as Cooper’s side remained resolute to create history in front of their vociferous green army.

Forest Green (4-3-1-1): Russell; Monthe, Pinnock, Bennett, Ellis; Cooper, Traore (Wedgbury 82), Marsh-Brown (Wishart 61), Noble; Doidge (Mullings 76), Woolery

Unused subs: Tilt, Bugiel

Goals: Woolery 11, 44, Doidge 41

Bookings: Cooper 67, Bennett 74, Noble 90+2

Tranmere Rovers (4-4-2): Davies; Buxton, McNulty, Ridehalgh, Ihiekwe; Maynard, Hughes, Mangan (Dunn 53), Jennings (Cook 61); Norwood, Stockton

Unused subs: Turner, Gumbs, Collins

Goal: Jennings 22

Bookings: Buxton 63, McNulty 68

Att: 18,801 

Star Man: Kaiyne Woolery