Forest Green hammer Harrogate to maintain lead in League Two

Posted Wednesday, December 08, 2021 by PA

Table-topping Forest Green extended their unbeaten league run to an eighth game following an emphatic 4-1 triumph at Harrogate.

First-half goals from Jack Aitchison, Nicky Cadden and Jamille Matt put the visitors in the ascendancy and, after Lloyd Kerry replied for Harrogate, Matty Stevens’ 15th goal of the season wrapped up matters.

Forest Green forged in front from their first attack of the night in the 21st minute when Kane Wilson pulled the ball back from the right byline and a 15-yard shot by Aitchison beat home keeper Mark Oxley with the aid of a deflection off Kerry.

Five minutes later, a stray pass from Harrogate skipper Josh Falkingham was intercepted by Stevens and, after rounding Oxley, he squared the ball for Cadden to tap into an unguarded net.

Wilson was then the architect again as Rovers added a third goal on the stroke of half-time, tip-toeing past a series of ineffective home challenges on the byline before teeing up Matt for another simple close-range finish.

Harrogate reduced the arrears when Kerry found Luke McGee’s bottom right corner from 15 yards after good play by Jack Diamond and Luke Armstrong on the left.

But Stevens doused any hopes of a comeback when he headed in from a yard after Warren Burrell’s weak clearance had been returned into the six-yard box by Aitchison from the left.