Football: Forest Green pick off Bogie's Head (From Gazette Series)

Blue Square Premier: Forest Green Rovers 2 Gateshead 1

4:23pm Tuesday 21st February 2012 in Sport By Ashley Loveridge

DAVID Hockaday’s Forest Green side blew away the cobwebs of inactivity to pick-off Ian Bogie’s Gateshead on Saturday.

The Head had nosed ahead early through Micky Cummins, but a debut goal from Tommy Wright and substitute Liam Henderson saw Rovers claim the spoils.

Playing for the first time since January 28, rusty Rovers deserved their victory and could yet make a late surge into the play-offs.

Hockaday felt the Tynesiders shaded the first half, but the former Southampton and Watford coach was pleased with his side’s second half showing.

“I thought they (Gateshead) were the better team in the first half but we managed to eke our way back into it.

“We got to grips with things better in the second half, and to come away with three points from an okay performance - not a great one - is really pleasing.”

Rovers started the game brightly with left-back Chris Stokes a constant attacking force.

Jake Thomson had an early shot and Jamie Collins, on his delayed debut, showed good feet to release Wright to feed Yan Klukowski, who saw his cross fizz across the box. Poor defending allowed former Yeovil winger Alan O’Brien to surge down the left and fire over a cross from which Cummins lashed past Sam Russell on 12 minutes.

However, Rovers found parity when Thomson’s deep delivery was nodded back across goal by James Norwood and Wright fizzed the ball past goalkeeper Tim Deasy.

Stokes could count himself unfortunate to see yellow after being booked for a dive in the box following a flowing move that involved Norwood and Matt Taylor.

The Head began the second period in a positive fashion and Russell had to produce a point-blank save to prevent Cummins bagging a second.

Moments later Cummins got on the end of an inswinging free-kick and saw his effort fingered around the post by Russell.

Wright was gobsmacked when his strike hit the hand of James Curtis, but referee Declan Ford ignored the penalty question.

Rovers were riled again when the impressive Michael Pook swung over a corner and Jamie Turley’s header appeared to be handled, but referee Ford was again not interested. However, Rovers won the game with 11 minutes to go. Taylor’s cross-field pass fell perfectly for Henderson to lift the ball over Deasy and into the net.

Forest Green: Russell; Hodgkiss, Turley, Oshodi (Graham 83), Stokes; Thomson (Pook 59), Collins, Klukowski; Wright (Henderson 68), Taylor, Norwood.

Subs not used: Uwezu, Bulman.

Star Man: Chris Stokes-Simply the best left-back in the Blue Square Premier.

* Forest Green are away to Kettering tonight.