Skip to content
Full Time After Extra Time This is a live match. Extra Time Half Time

Forest Green Rovers vs Bristol Rovers. National League.

The New Lawn.

Forest Green Rovers 0

    Bristol Rovers 1

    • M Taylor (17th minute)
    • E Harrison (sent off 77th minute)

    Forest Green 0-1 Bristol Rovers: Matty Taylor goal gives 10-man Rovers play-off advantage

    Matty Taylor scored what could be decisive goal in the Conference play-off semi-finals
    Image: Matty Taylor's first-half goal won the game for Rovers

    Bristol Rovers have the advantage in their Conference play-off semi-final after a 1-0 first-leg win over Forest Green.

    But they will be without striker Ellis Harrison for the second leg next week after the 21-year-old was sent off late on for a second bookable offence.

    His needless clash with Steve Arnold, after the Forest Green 'keeper collected a routine save, scraped the shine off a promising night for the Gas, whose early goal through Matty Taylor proved to be the winner.  

    Rovers dominated the opening half, with shots from Chris Lines and Taylor going close before the latter latched on to a long diagonal ball, rounded Arnold and slotted home from a tight angle on 17 minutes.

    The visitors to the Cotswolds also hit the post through Harrison’s header before half-time and Taylor had another goal ruled out for offside in the second half after Harrison headed a cross towards goal.

    Forest Green piled on the pressure at the death and captain Charlie Clough saw his back-post header bounce back off the crossbar deep into stoppage time.