Dover Athletic 1
By Will Butcher
A swashbuckling second-half display saw Forest Green come from behind to take the National League points at a soggy New Lawn this afternoon.
Second half goals from James Jennings, Darren Carter and Elliott Frear saw second-placed Rovers cancel out Nicky Deverdics’ first-half strike for a Dover side sitting in third-place.
Earlier, players, fans and officials paid their respects with a minute’s silence in memory of the people who lost their lives in the Paris terrorist attacks, as well as remembering the war dead.
Manager Ady Pennock sprung a pre-match surprise by naming goalkeeper Steve Arnold, ahead of Jonny Maxted, for his first league appearance of the season.
Pennock also tinkered with his outfield players; Keanu Marsh-Brown and Charlie Clough made way for Kurtis Guthrie and Aarran Racine respectively, the latter returning from a one-game suspension.
The match got off to a brisk start, with the jet-heeled Frear quickly on the front foot.
However, Dover soon settled and Arnold caused a few nervous moments in the Rovers’ defence with two hurried clearances.
Rovers settled; Jon Parkin dropped deep and clipped a cross into Guthrie, who impressively held the ball up to play in Carter, but his curling effort went the wrong side of Andy Rafferty’s post after 23 minutes.
But against the run of play, Nicky Deverdics put Dover one-nil up on 37 minutes.
Ricky Modeste’s quick turn of pace won the away side a free-kick, and Deverdics curled a superb effort into the top corner, out of the reach of the well-beaten Arnold, after being teed-up by Stefan Payne.
YOU BEAUTY: Darren Carter celebrates his goal
Rovers were huffing and puffing, and Deverdics almost scored again. A wind-assisted free-kick was missed by Arnold but fell wide with five minutes of the first half to go.
But it only took Rovers seven minutes after the restart to net parity.
A Frear corner was exquisitely flicked into the net by left-back Jennings, for his fourth goal of the season.
With the wind in their sails, Rovers nosed ahead. Frear grabbed another assist, sliding the ball through to Carter who incisively curled the ball into the bottom corner from 25 yards out.
The wind continued to cause hesitancy in the Dover defence.
Another in-swinging Frear corner found its way into the top corner in the 70th minute, with Rafferty caught underneath the flight of the ball.
And Rovers were unlucky not to add to their score. A wonderful curling effort from Guthrie beat Rafferty, but cannoned back off the bar – Frear inexplicably putting the rebound wide when it seemed easier to score.
It stayed that way until the final whistle, leaving Rovers in second-place and breathing down Cheltenham Town’s necks ahead off 'El Glosico' next Saturday.
Forest Green: S Arnold; D Bennett, J Jennings, A Racine, D Jones (66 - Clough); R Sinclair (75 – D Pipe), S Wedgbury, D Carter; E Frear, K Guthrie, J Parkin (c) (80 – A O’Connor).
Subs not used: J Maxted, K Marsh-Brown.
Attendance: 1661
Away Fans: 148
Star Man: Darren Carter – pivotal performance in Rovers’ midfield throughout the whole match, as well as scoring a wonderful curling effort from 25 yards.
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