Yeovil Town 2 - 0 Forest Green Rovers 

FOREST Green were knocked out of the Checktrade Trophy last night after going down to Yeovil Town at Huish Park.  

Nathan Smith opened the scoring after three minutes before Connor Smiith doubled Yeovil’s advantage before the half-hour mark.

Mark Cooper made seven changes to the side that beat Port Vale on Saturday as Dayle Grubb and Alex Whittle both made their full debuts.

Mark Roberts, Luke James, Keanu Marsh-Brown, Jordan Simpson and Charlie Cooper, whose suspension doesn’t apply to the Checkatrade Trophy, all started as well.

The hosts took the lead after just three minutes, Nathan Smith capitalising on the game’s first chance as he re-directed Jake Gray’s low shot into the back of the net amidst FGR appeals for offside.

Alefe Santos then tried his luck from range after seven minutes but his effort flew wide of the diving Brad Collins’ post.

Forest Green slowly began to find their feet but the Yeovil still had the upper hand, Jordan Green firing just wide on the spin after 11 minutes.

Rovers had their first sustained phase of possession came after 24 minutes but they couldn’t create a clear chance at the end of it.

However, it was the hosts who found the net next, Otis Khan making a strong break down the left-hand side after 26 minutes before cutting the ball back to Connor Smith whose looping effort flew over the head of Collins and into the far top corner.

Forest Green then had a break of their own just two minutes later as Marsh-Brown found Alex Whittle down the left but the debutant defender found his effort blocked by the on-rushing Corey Whelan.

Yeovil continued to create chances and Green’s powerful break brought him 1-on-1 with Collins but the young keeper did well to stay on his feet and deny the on-rushing striker.

With six minutes of the half to play, Thomas James struck a vicious free-kick towards the FGR goal but his struck the top of the bar.

Rovers then had a set-piece of their own with one minute of half to go, Grubb whipping his free-kick towards the top corner, denied by the finger-tips of Arthur Krysiak.

After 10 minutes of the second half, Grubb brought the ball down in the middle of the pitch before driving round the left hand side and eventually, after cutting back into the middle, he won a free-kick which he drove hard at goal but couldn’t beat Krysiak.

Marsh-Brown almost pulled one back for FGR shortly after the hour mark but he couldn’t direct Simpson cross on target despite being almost unmarked at the back post.

Dan Wishart almost created a chance after 77 minutes as hebroke down the left but his cross was just too far ahead of James for thestriker to make a clean connection on the shot.

Despite a dominant final 15 minutes, Forest Green couldn't breakthrough the Yeovil backline but as the game ticked into stoppage time, it was Yeovil who almost added a third.

Sam Surridge's low effort at the back post was denied in sensational fashion by Collins.