New boy is Wright on target in Rovers win
TWO second-half goals were enough to earn Forest Green a second pre-season win against Southern League side North Leigh.
A solid performance which saw Reece Styche add to his pre-season tally and summer signing Ben Wright notch his first goal for the club ensured Rovers left rural Oxfordshire in an upbeat mood.
Rovers travelled to Eynsham Hall as part of the transfer deal that saw Matt Taylor join the club at the beginning of last season.
After James Rowe had an early shot palmed away by North Leigh shot stopper Sam Warrell, it was Taylor who had the ball in his former club's net only for his effort to be ruled out for offside.
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Taylor was in the thick of the action again when good work by skipper Jared Hodgkiss presented him with a shot on goal that Warrell confidently gathered.
Eynsham Hall was basked in sunshine for Rovers' visit and it was a former Rovers man who narrowly blasted wide the hosts' biggest chance.
Alfie Saunders' through-ball found the onrushing ex-Forest Green and Hartpury College youngster Jon Else, who smashed just wide of Sam Russell's post just before the half-hour mark.
The first half headed for its conclusion with an almost magical final moment which saw Forest Green centre-back Jamie Turley clip the North Leigh post with a speculative effort from just inside his own half.
A raft of half-time changes gave the Rovers attack fresh impetus and the newly-introduced James Norwood illustrated that when on the hour mark he attempted an audacious lob from out wide which just dropped over Warrell's goal frame.
Reece Styche dragged a right-footed effort well wide soon after but the man who netted Rovers' opener at Brimscombe on Tuesday would find the net, and Rovers' opener, eventually after good work once again by Norwood.
The 21-year-old's perfect cross found the head of Styche at the back post and he nodded the ball home.
Part-time North Leigh were beginning to wither and the fresh legs of Norwood provided a constant threat, a second ball into the box being met by the head of Adie Harvey but struck the post.
Norwood's excellent delivery ensured Rovers fired in their second with five minutes left on the clock.
A cross from the right by Norwood found summer signing Ben Wright.
He brought the ball down confidently and tucked a neat finish past Warrell to net his first goal in a Rovers shirt and secure a second victory in Forest Green's pre-season campaign.
Forest Green: (First half) S Russell, J Hodgkiss, E Asafu-Adjaye, J Turley, E Oshodi, J Rowe, K Forbes, O Koroma, M Vieira, M Taylor, P Marsh
Second half: M Bulman, J Hodgkiss, A Brown, C Todd, J Collins, A Bangura, J Klukowski, Bradford, R Styche, J Norwood, Wright, Harvey, Williams.
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