A HALF-TIME blast from the Hockaday hairdryer handed Forest Green the fringe benefits.

Turgid in the first half, Rovers found their feet after the break thanks to midfield goal-machine Yan Klukowski’s second half treble against Barrow to take his goal tally to 16.

It left boss David Hockaday and chairman Dale Vince toasting their pre-season 60-point statement of intent.

Hockaday said: "The objective was 60 points and then beyond. The earlier you do that, the better your season is. Now we’ve got them, we’ve achieved our target so let’s see where we end up.

"In the first half we were poor and didn’t turn up.

“There were harsh words and I had to rifle into them. In the second half for 20-25 minutes it was two and it could have been more. We’ve kept a clean sheet and to go from first gear to third or fourth takes some doing.

"The crowd were pretty fair with us because in the first half we didn’t give them anything to cheer.

“In the second half we did and they got behind us and we showed a little bit of what we’re about."

Klukowski, 25, celebrated scoring his first professional hat-trick after being signed from the second-tier of the American Soccer League.

"I think I scored a hat-trick when I was in the United States doing my University course but it’s nice to get one back in this country."

Klukowski is pleasantly surprised by his goalscoring exploits after battling back from summer surgery.

He said: "I didn’t expect to be top scorer this season with the potency we’ve got in the squad, with the likes of Reece Styche and Matty Taylor, but I’ll take it and luckily for me it’s been a successful season."

Forest Green: S. Russell; J. Hodgkiss, J. Turley (L. Graham 62), E. Oshodi, C. Stokes; K. Forbes, J. Thomson (L. Henderson 46), J. Collins; M. Uwezu, M. Taylor (R. Styche 80), Y. Klukowski.

Subs not used: J. Rowe, T. Wright.

Barrow: D. Hurst; K. Lomax, D. Hone, P. Bolland, G. Skelton (J. Mackreth 69); P. Rutherford, J. Owen (P. Smith 83), R. Baker (A-R Harvey 69), P. Edwards; A. Cook, A. Boyes.

Subs not used: A. Nicholas, J. Cudworth.

Referee: L. Swabey (Devon).

Attendance: 1,070.

Star man: Yan Klukowski.

u FOREST Green welcome Ebbsfleet to the New Lawn on Good Friday (3pm) and travel to Bath City on Bank Holiday Monday (3pm).