NATIONAL LEAGUE

NORTH FERRIBY 0

FOREST GREEN 3

ETHAN Pinnock’s first ever Forest Green goal, a Charlie Clough header and a stoppage-time Christian Doidge goal, made it six unbeaten  games for the leaders.

Rovers were far from their scintillating best in Yorkshire, but were hardly troubled by a dogged North Ferriby as Sam Russell and his mean defence made it five matches without conceding a goal.

For the first time this season, boss Mark Cooper named an unchanged team, after a scintillating 4-0 victory at Aldershot on Tuesday night.

New signing Dan Wishart was quickly into his stride, with several marauding runs down the left as Rovers hunted an early opener with Rhys Murphy stabbing over from close range.

Wishart was at the fulcrum - his neat feet down the left and pass allowed captain Liam Noble an opportunity after a neat exchange with Fabien Robert, but his stinging strike dropped over and into the nearby allotment at this picturesque stadium, which also boasts the Humber Bridge in the distance.

In-form striker Kieffer Moore displayed the strength that boss Cooper has demanded after his mid-week brace, and his strong run and stinging strike fizzed just above Rory Watson’s bar.

North Ferriby, fighting relegation in their first season in the top tier of non-league, were struggling to find their feet, but Sam Russell’s charged down clearance offered hope as Ferriby were finding a foothold.

Drissa Traore was booked for clipping Reece Thompson after Murphy lost possession.

It took to the cusp of the break for Cooper’s side to break from the shackles and for Pinnock to get his first goal in a Rovers shirt – rising to turn home a pin-point Noble free-kick.

Ferriby’s riposte saw former Forest Green man Steve Brogan bend a free-kick wide and Traore smacked one wide in added time.

Rovers opened the second period in a positive manner – Noble and Robert firing shots wide.

However, Cooper had seen enough and made a double substitution on 57 minutes – Doidge and Keanu Marsh-Brown replacing Murphy and Moore.

Rovers were struggling to retain their customary stranglehold of the football and they survived a let-off when Darren Carter cleared off the line with 20 minutes to go.

However, with 15 minutes to go, and from Rovers’ first corner, Noble picked out Charlie Clough, who hung in the air to hammer home a header to give his side some breathing space.

Deep into stoppage-time, sub Frear broke through and smacked the base of the post for fellow sub Doidge to tap home a simple gift.

Forest Green (4-4-2) Russell; Bennett, Wishart, Clough, Pinnock; Traore, Carter, Noble, Robert; Moore, Murphy.

Subs not used: Kelly, Frear.

Star Man: Ethan Pinnock.

Attendance: