NATIONAL LEAGUE

FOREST GREEN 1

BRAINTREE TOWN 1

ON a day of celebrity, Nailsworth Olympic hero Pete Reed, raunchy novelist Jilly Cooper and One Show presenter Lucy Siegle watched Forest Green cruelly denied a stoppage-time winner.

Christian Doidge’s header in 10 minutes of added time appeared to have wrapped up a dramatic last-gasp win, but an offside flag tempered Rovers’ joy to leave Cooper rueing the decision.

He raged: “It was a great goal and obviously the referee has admitted he has made a complete cock up. The linesman has let them off the hook by making up a decision that is not even anywhere near the correct one, but that doesn’t help us as it has cost us two points from a game we should have deserved to win from our second-half performance."

Cooper took positives from the second-half performance, which included debuts off the bench for Wigan loanee Kaiyne Woolery and Bristol Rovers winger Jake Gosling.

He added: “The two boys that came on gave us that drive and I was really pleased with the eleven that finished the game.”

With leaders Lincoln City crowning a memorable week with a win against play-off hopefuls Dover on Friday, Rovers are four points behind with Danny Cowley’s side in the box seat having played two games less, but Cooper insists there will be more twists and turns in the race for the title.

He said: There is a long way to go and we have to keep going and I’m sure there will be plenty more twists and turns before the end of the season.”

Earlier, Police donated LED lighting equipment confiscated during raids on drugs factories helped Rovers defrost the New Lawn playing surface.

And they started on a high – but it was Braintree who put Rovers out to grass as the Essex boys smoked them out on 14 minutes.

In their first meaningful attack on goal, Jerome Oko stepped on the gas to float over a ball for Michael Cheek to lash in his 11th goal of the season.

Rovers were shocked, but the clever feet of captain Liam Noble offered an immediate riposte, Iron keeper Sam Beasant blocking his fizzer.

At the other end, Sam Russell fingered a Cheek header over as Braintree, sitting fourth in the National League’s form table, turned up the heat.

However, Rovers were starting to paint pretty pictures – Charlie Cooper’s clever pass allowed Rob Sinclair to bend a sumptuous curler which induced a flying save from Beasant.

Play was end-to-end, and on the cusp of the break Braintree’s Sam Corne almost made it 2-0, but Russell’s long lever saved the day.

Cooper was looking for a positive start to the second-half, but his side were almost caught cold. Russell’s excellent glove thwarted the leaping Cheek a certain second from a Jack Midson cross.

Cooper had seen enough and ushered loan duo Woolery and Gosling on with 56 minutes gone.

Four minutes later and Rovers found parity – Clough getting on the end of a Noble free-kick.

Rovers smelled goals and Woolery was twice denied by resolute Braintree blocks before Doidge volleyed over in a frenzied 30 seconds.

Tails up, Noble bent a free-kick up and over the wall, but somehow Beasant put up a glove to touch his strike over as the net bulged in anticipation.

Rovers continued on the front foot, but Braintree held firm as they dogged it out in 10 minutes of stoppage-time.

And Doidge thought he had won it on 100 minutes, but his header from a Noble free-kick was ruled offside.

FOREST GREEN: ( 4-3-3) Russell 8 ; Bennett 7,  Clough 7, Pinnock 6, Monthe 5 (Gosling 7, 56,); Sinclair 7, Noble 8, Cooper 7; Doidge 6, Marsh-Brown 6 (Woolery 7, 56,), Kelly 6.

Subs not used : Traore, Carter, Robert.

BRAINTREE TOWN: ( 4-4-2) Beasant 8; Clohessy 7, Goodman 8, Parry 7, Okimo 8; Henshall 6 (Hall-Johnson, 71), Corne 7 (Farrell, 83), Issac 8,Twardek 7; Cheek 8 (Barnard, 89), Midson 7.

Subs not used: Gayle, Maybanks.

Star Man: Liam Noble.