SKYBET LEAGUE TWO

TRANMERE ROVERS 0

FOREST GREEN ROVERS 1

Mondal 48

JUNIOR MONDAL’S second-half howitzer all but sealed Forest Green’s play-off place as they put a dent in Tranmere’s automatic promotion hopes.

Mark Cooper’s side maintained their winning streak over Tranmere, making it four wins on the spin in a high-octane clash at Prenton Park. With three games of the regular season to go, Forest Green are five points clear of Exeter City, who occupy the final play-off place and six ahead of chasing Carlisle.

Cooper made one change to the team that beat Macclesfield last time out. Goalkeeper James Montgomery came in for Reading loanne Lewis Ward.

On the bench, Dayle Grubb and Paul Digby returned to the squad with Issac Pearce and Udoka Godwin-Malife dropping out.

The pre-match James Norwood injury hypothesis saw the ex-Forest Green striker passed fit to face his former club. Heroes from Wembley 2017, Manny Monthe and Mark Ellis were Tranmere’s twin towers at the heart of their defence.

Entering hostile Prenton Park territory, Forest Green survived an early scare – Ben Pringle opening up Cooper’s side for Connor Jennings to fizz wide of the far post and then Norwood lobbing over.

Tranmere were turning the screw -Montgomery spilled a cross from Pringle, but Jennings spurned the gift in equal measure.

Forest Green responded – Reece Brown drove forward for George Williams to bring the best out of the sprawling Scott Davies from the edge of the box.

Play was halted on 25 minutes when former Forest Green player Ellis fell to the ground clutching his left knee, when trying to blunt Junior Mondal’s attacking intent. After lengthy treatment Ellis was stretchered off.

Tranmere were suffering from profligacy in front of goal and this was exemplified when Zoumana Bakayogo stepped on the gas, but fluffed his lines with jusr the exposed Montgomery to beat.

Tranmere were holding sway, but on the cusp of the break, Joseph Mills bustled through to see his strike deflected.

Cooper hooked Williams at the break after the Forest Green striker had earlier bashed his knee on the advertising board.

Forest Green hit the ground running three minutes after the break with a sublime Mondal strike. The rookie striker picked up a cross from Mills and wrapped his lethal left-foot around the ball from the edge of the box  -planting a sumptuous strike beyond the flailing Davies.

Sub Grubb should have made it two just moments later – he made his own space in the box but fizzed his strike into Davies.

Tranmere’s riposte saw Norwood find Jennings, but Montgomery scampered across his goal to save.

Montgomery did even better to glove a Paul Mullin overhead kick wide as Tranmere looked for parity.

The Bebington Kop had found its collective voice as they tried to suck the ball in, but Forest Green were in resolute mood with the imperious Nathan McGinley and  Farrend Rawson keeping Norwood in check.

Tranmere had their tails up as the game entered the final 20 minutes.

Jay Harris watched his howitzer fly wide as the Kop got ready to celebrate and then Mullin landed one on the roof of the net with an angled strike from the edge of the box.

Forest Green were under the cosh. Cooper looked to bolster his side and ushered on Gavin Gunning and Paul Digby.

As the clock ticked, Gunning will count himself unfortunate not to have incurred a card when blocking off Norwood and from the free-kick Mullin spanked the post from the edge of the box.

On the final whistle, an incensed McGinley remonstrated with the home crowd - pointing to his shorts and appearing to suggest something had occurred with a fan behind the Kop end goal as stewards battled with a section of fans trying to get onto the pitch.

Tranmere Rovers: Davies, Monthe, Caprice, Ellis ( Nelson 25), Banks (Dagnall 84), Morris, Pringle (Mullin 56), Jennings, Norwood, Bakayogo

Forest Green Rovers: Montgomery; Shephard, Rawson, McGinley, Mills (Gunning 69); Collins, Winchester; Williams (Grubb 45), Brown, Mondal (Digby 75); Doidge

Subs not used: Reid, James, McCloulsky, Ward.

Star Man: Farrend Rawson.

Attendance: 9,468 

170 away fans.