NATIONAL LEAGUE

FOREST GREEN 4

WOKING 3

STRIKER Omar Bugiel stepped off the bench to bag a last-gasp brace to fire Forest Green’s promotion aspirations.

The German-born striker was introduced with 15 minutes to go and scored with his second touch on 88 minutes and then fizzed in a 92nd-minute fourth in a seven-goal New Lawn thriller.

And with leaders Lincoln City and second-placed Tranmere in FA Trophy action, Rovers jumped back up to third with thirteen games to go.

Earlier, maverick Keanu Marsh-Brown broke the deadlock for Rovers with his 10th goal of the season after 37 minutes, before Woking’s Joey Jones equalised with a 35 yard thunderbolt.

Gozie Ugwu then headed the visitors in front, but Christian Doidge nodded in his 17th goal of the season to level things up.

Rovers’ Darren Carter fluffed a penalty with 23 minutes remaining, before Bugiel’s brilliant double. This pulsating clash climaxed when Terell Thomas pulled one back deep into stoppage time.

Earlier, Rovers started with gusto – Christian Doidge demanding a sprawling stop from Michael Poke, inside the first two minutes.

Woking, fighting for National League survival, responded with Fabio Saraiva arching over from inside the box.

Saraiva was a whisker away from putting Woking ahead – his thumping free-kick fizzing fractionally wide after Dan Wishart had given a free-kick away.

Woking had started to turn the screw, but Rovers responded.

The recalled Marsh-Brown raced onto a clever Liam Noble pass to dart beyond Poke, but a brief hesitation allowed Poke to scramble back with the help of an Ismail Yakubu clearance. Marsh-Brown was a boot away from touching home another Noble cross in a high-octane opening 20 minutes.

Rovers needed to be on their mettle at the back. Mark Ellis was on hand to repel the threat, making two vital interceptions in as many minutes.

Carter picked up the first booking of the day as he saw yellow for a 26th-minute lunge on Keiran Murtagh.

The Cards were gaining a foothold – Macauley Bonne trying an audacious overhead kick, which dropped wide of Sam Russell’s far post.

Rovers tried to buck the trend. Doidge was unfortunate to lose his footing as he shaped to shoot into an inviting net after Noble opened Woking up.

Rovers’ stress levels dropped when Marsh-Brown smacked in his 10th goal of the season - Poke making a hash of Noble’s 37th-minute free-kick.

The goal settled Rovers, but they were wounded by a quiet remarkable Woking howitzer.

On the cusp of the break a sumptuous Joey Jones 40-yard fizzer drew Woking level. The Cards centre-back was afforded too much space as his rocked beat the flying glove of Russell.

Rovers required a positive opening and they should have regained the lead just five minutes after the break. Poke blocked Noble’s fizzer and Ellis contrived to hit the rebound back to Poke when scoring would have been easier.

Rovers were stung on 54 minutes – Jake Caprice’s cross was headed home by Gozie Ugwu. Rovers needed a quick riposte and they found it two minutes later as Doidge gave Rovers a lifeline as he leaped highest to nod in his 17th goal of the season from a Carter corner.

Rovers’ tails were up – Doidge smashing wide and then Charlie Cooper sending a right-footer over the bar.

Cooper’s industry won Rovers a 65th-minute penalty after a nudge from Terrell Thomas, but Carter missed the chance to nose Rovers ahead as Poke fell comfortably on his weak spot-kick.

Rovers pressed on. Jones clearing off the line from Ellis and then Thomas getting his frame in the way. Doidge saw a goal chalked off from a Carter corner as Rovers kept the tempo up.

It was all Rovers - Doidge fired wide from a Noble ball.

As the game entered the dying embers, Mark Cooper's side turned the screw.

With two minutes left, Noble dug out a pass to Sam Wedgbury and his exquisite cross was volleyed home by sub Bugiel.

And in added time Bugiel picked the ball up in his own half, cut inside Dennon Lewis to plant a sumptuous strike into the bottom corner.

The goal tide was’nt over as sixty seconds later Thomas nodded in for Woking.

Earlier, boss Mark Cooper made five changes from the team that capitulated at Gateshead. Dale Bennett, Kaiyne Woolery, Jake Gosling and Omar Bugiel dropped to the bench. Meanwhile, Manny Monthe missed out altogether.

STAR MAN: Omar Bugiel(Forest Green).

ATT: 1,556

ENTERTAINMENT:  5/5

REFEREE: Mr David Rock  5 /10

FOREST GREEN: ( 4-4-2) Russell 6 ; Wedgbury 6,  Ellis 7, Pinnock 8, Wishart 7; Sinclair 7, Noble 7, Cooper 7, Carter 6 ( Gosling 78,7); Doidge 6, Marsh-Brown 6 (Bugiel 75,8).

Subs not used : Traore,Bennett, Woolery.

WOKING:  ( 3-5-2) Poke 7; Thomas 7, Jones 7, Yakbu 6 (Lewis 64,5); Caprice 7 ( Kretzschmar 85), Saraiva 6, Ferdinand 6, Murtagh7,Ralph 6; Ugwu 7, Bonnie 5 ( Carter 62, 6).