FOREST GREEN 0

BIRMINGHAM CITY 3

FOREST GREEN boss Mark Cooper labelled Clayton Donaldson’s tackle on star midfielder Drissa Traore as ‘ridiculous’.

The Birmingham striker crunched the summer signing from Swindon Town inside the opening 20 minutes and the Ivorian is now set to undergo a scan before Rovers fly out to a five-day training camp in Portugal on Sunday.

Cooper said: “Biggest disappointment for me today was Drissa Traroe’s injury - it was a ridiculous tackle – Clayton Donaldson is not usually like that - and it could punish us as it could be a nasty one, but we will get a scan to see how the extent of the injury is.”

Earlier, Gary Rowett’s side opened the scoring in the first half through captain Michael Morrison and added two late goals from second half substitutes Jack Storer and Diego Fabbrini.

Rhys Murphy started his first game for Rovers since arriving from Oldham.

Rovers settled into their comfortable passing game, but it was Birmingham who created the first two chances – Ethan Pinnock clearing off the line from Jacques Maghoma and then Jonny Maxted showed sharp reflexes to thwart Jonathan Grounds.

And it was Morrison, who nosed the Blues ahead on 11 minutes with a simple finish from a Maghoma corner.

Rovers’ star midfielder Drissa Traore was forced to limp off on 20 minutes after taking an earlier meaty whack from Clayton Donaldson – his place was taken by former Blues legend Darren Carter, who was afforded a warm welcome from the large away contingent.

Maxted was the busier man between the sticks - and he did well to parry an Andrew Shinnie stinger who fizzed over from Maxted’s initial save.

Maghoma was catching the eye for the Championship outfit, but the over worked Maxted gloved his angled drive to safety.

On the cusp of the break Maxted fingered a Robert Tesche thunderbolt out of the danger zone from a Shinnie free-kick.

Rovers found their feet in stoppage time – Murphy finding Noble ,who clipped his strike wide of Adam Legzdins and then Noble bent one over the wall to watch the diving Legzdins touch the ball past the post.

Both teams made a raft of team changes after the break. Rovers’ boss Cooper introducing Charlie Clough for captain Aarran Racine, former Birmingham star Wade Elliott replacing Rob Sinclair and strikers Matt Tubbs and Christian Doidge for Kieffer Moore and Murphy respectively.

Birmingham brought on seven changes, including Tomaz Kuszczak and veteran Paul Robinson. They adapted quickly with sub Diego Fabbrini firing fractionally wide.

Triallist goalkeeper Matt Hall took over from Maxted just before the hour mark and Keanu Marsh-Brown soon followed after playing in a development game the night before following a summer knee operation.

Viv Solomon-Otabor opened his legs to run at Rovers’ sub Harry Hickford and his audacious curler narrowly missed the top corner as The Blues looked for a second.

Rovers responded, but Kuszczak did well to plunge on a teasing Carter free-kick. Hall was equal to a sumptuous Storer strike as Birmingham stepped up the tempo.

And they made it two on 80 minutes – Storer planting a header home from a Solomon-Otabor cross.

Eight minutes later, Fabbrini picked his spot for Birmingham’s third.

Forest Green first half (3-5-2): Maxted; Racine, Bennett, Pinnock; Traore ( Carter, 20), Sinclair, Kelly, Noble, Frear; Moore, Murphy.

Forest Green second half ( 3-5-2): Maxted ( Hall, 58); Clough, Bennett (McGrory, 69), Pinnock (Hickford, 65); Elliott, Kelly Chemal, 69), Noble (Marsh-Brown,61)  Frear (Jefford, 65); Tubbs, Doidge.

Birmingham City (first half; 4-4-2): A Legzdins; J Cogley, J Spector, M Morrison (c), J Grounds; R Tesche, S Gleeson; K Arthur, A Shinnie, J Mahoma; C Donaldson.

Birmingham City (first half; 4-2-3-1): T Kuszcak; P Caddis, R Shotton, P Robinson, J Grounds (D Tiendalli, 58); D Davis, S Gleeson (L Maxwell, 58); K Arthur (R Brown 58), D Fabrini, V Solomon-Otabor; C Donaldson (J Storer, 58).

Referee: S Allison.

Att: 1,382 (386 away).

Star man: Ethan Pinnock.