YATE 1
FOREST GREEN 6 

George Williams and Joseph Mills both scored twice as Forest Green Rovers made light work of Yate Town in their latest pre-season friendly.

Summer signing Aaron Collins and Junior Mondal also netted for Rovers while Olly Mehew scored against his old club for the hosts in the first half which ended level.

Dom Bernard, who signed earlier in the day started as well as fellow new signings Collins, Liam Kitching, James Morton, Kevin Dawson, Adam Smith and Matt Mills.

Liam Shephard, James Montgomery, Taylor Allen, Lloyd James and Charlie Cooper were not involved.

Forest Green made a fast start and took the lead after three minutes. Aaron Collins showed great composure to nip past his man and bend the ball into the bottom corner from 18 yards.

Rovers looked in the mood and came close again three minutes through Shawn McCoulsky and Matt Mills both forcing corners.

Mark Cooper’s side looked comfortable, but Yate equalised out of nowhere on 10 minutes when Nick Peare intercepted in midfield and found Mehew who had space in the area to curl a beauty into the top corner.

The game cooled down after Yate drew parity. Forest Green played some nice intricate football at times, but Yate were competing well.

Rovers almost scored a spectacular goal through George Williams. The Welshman almost replicated the outstanding free-kick he produced at Newport County on Boxing Day as his dipping effort from 35-yards which was tipped over by Adam Forster.

Yate almost took the lead themselves when Mehew’s low cross was met by Jake Lee but his close-range effort took a deflection off the arriving James Morton and just went wide.

Bluebells fans welcomed back former loanee Lewis Thomas who replaced Adam Smith at half time. Nathan Mcginley also entered the fray in place of Liam Kitching.

Both sides were lively early in the second half. Joseph Mills rifled a powerful free-kick just over the bar early on while Price hit the target on 56 minutes after Mehew found him in the area.

It was the visitors who got the third goal a minute later when Williams bent one into the net on the turn.

Both sides made a host of changes on the hour. Rovers were unlucky not to be 3-1 ahead a couple of minutes later when Dom Bernard found substitute Dayle Grubb whose shot on the turn bounced off the post and ran loose but Forster got their before Junior Mondal.

The former Middlesbrough man got his goal a few minutes later after a slick move which saw Grubb play it through to McGinley who cut the ball back from the by-line for Mondal to tap in.

The floodgates then started to open. Joseph Mills scored with a free-kick which he placed over the wall into the near corner before Williams got his second after he was found by Mondal to make it 5-1.

The sixth goal came in the 81st minute as Mills got his second of the match when his cross from the left looped over everyone and into the net.

In the end a good workout for Cooper’s men who face Salisbury in their next friendly this weekend.