Football: Klukowski aims for play-offs after Rovers beat Kettering (From Gazette Series)

Blue Square Premier: Kettering Town 1 Forest Green Rovers 3

10:46am Wednesday 22nd February 2012 in Sport By Ashley Loveridge

YAN Klukowski turned into Mystic Meg for the evening as Forest Green edged closer to the play-offs with their third win in four games at Kettering last night.

Klukowski smashed in his tenth strike of the season to confirm his pre-match prediction.

He said: "I backed myself to score before the game and the play-offs are definitely back on now."

His crystal ball gazing continues as he plots an assault on a fresh goal target.

He added: "I set myself a target of ten and now the goal is 15."

Midfielder Jamie Collins hit a brace in only his second game since his January switch from Aldershot.

Manager David Hockaday made one change from Saturday and gave Liam Henderson a start in place of Tommy Wright.

Former Kettering man Jake Thomson made a quick impact with a corner that saw an unmarked Collins head in the opening goal in the first minute.

An out-of-sorts James Norwood nearly made it 2-0 in the 34th minute when he got on the end of Thomson's free-kick, but he headed straight at Laurie Walker.

It proved to be the last slice of action as the fit-again Kieron Forbes replaced him.

Rovers made it two five minutes before half-time following a flowing move.

Chris Stokes and Taylor linked for Henderson and the York loanee teed-up Collins to rifle home from the edge of the area.

Rovers started the second half in impressive fashion, but Walker produced two stunning saves, firstly clawing away Thomson's 25-yard shot and then touching over Stokes' strike following the resulting corner by Thomson.

However, the Poppies came close to scoring on 55 minutes when David Bridges' header was cleared off the line by captain Jared Hodgkiss.

Nonetheless, Rovers made it 3-0. Brave work from Tommy Wright allowed Henderson to feed Klukowski and he fired beyond Walker.

Kettering bagged a 90th minute gift as Mills met an inswinging cross with a low header.

Kettering Town: L. Walker; P. Noubissie, D. Sangare, J. Ifil, S. Davis; L. Hornby, D. Bridges, M. Kelly; L. Hornby (O. Jones 83), A. Verma, N. Ralph.

Subs not used: B. Ford, M. Pryor.

Forest Green: S. Russell; J. Hodgkiss, J. Turley, E. Oshodi, C. Stokes; J. Thomson, J. Collins, Y. Klukowski; L. Henderson (M. Pook 89), M. Taylor (T. Wright 69), J. Norwood (K. Forbes 35).

Subs not used: L. Graham, M. Bulman.

Referee: M. Bull (Chelmsford).

Attendance: 830.

Star Man: Jamie Collins.