Tuffley Rovers 0 Forest Green Rovers 7

A SQUAD containing a mixture of Academy and first team players recorded a resounding victory in a friendly tie with Tuffley Rovers on Wednesday evening.

Led by Academy boss Scott Bartlett, the likes of Delano Sam-Yorke, Tom Bender, Steve Arnold and Charlie Clough gained vital extra minutes as Forest Green ran out 7-0 winners.

Hosts Tuffley put out a mixed squad themselves having been in Hellenic Premier Division action the previous night against Brimscombe & Thrupp.

Set up in a 4-3-3 formation, Sam-Yorke led the line, and the captain on the night tried his luck with the games two earliest chances.

His first deflected shot spun away for a corner while great work by 16-year-old Giancarlo Gabbiadini teed him up for another attempt on 18 minutes that slipped wide.

The first of the night’s goals eventually came on 29 minutes when Louis McGrory’s excellent free kick was headed home by Clovis Kamdjo.

Another 16-year-old from the Academy squad, Tommy Anderson brought a good save out of the Tuffley keeper shortly after, while the score line was doubled just before the half time whistle.

Sam-Yorke’s cross towards the near post was brilliantly turned in by Academy second year Joe Stokes.

With Ady Pennock and Jamie Day watching from the side, FGR eased through the second 45 minutes as the home team began to tire.

Sam-Yorke made it three with a stunning strike early in the half, and McGrory’s speculative footwork saw him squeeze in at the near post on 58 minutes.

The goal of the night came from right back Macauley Dodson just two minutes later when the Academy defender slammed home from 30 yards.

A rare Tuffley foray forward saw Liam Wright, who had previously been on the books in the Academy squad at the club for the last two seasons, fire a low strike just wide of substitute goalkeeper Paul White’s post.

Bartlett threw on a number of his Academy youngsters for the final 20 minutes, but it was one of the graduates from his squad that secured the sixth goal.

McGrory made the most of a brilliant forward run by Will Hayward and he slotted clinically.

Tom Leonard wrapped up the clash when he added a seventh in the final minute, finding the net when one-on-one with the home team’s keeper.

Forest Green Rovers team: S Arnold, M Dodson, T Bender, C Clough, E Ripley, C Kamdjo, J Stokes, L McGrory, T Anderson, G Gabbiadini, D Sam-Yorke