FOREST GREEN ROVERS 2 YORK CITY 1

OLI Thorne might not win any popularity contests at the New Lawn this season, but even his harshest critics will have to put the knives away for now.

The central defender, a half-time substitute for the injured Craig Armstrong, hit the sweetest of 55th-minute winners to nudge Forest Green back into the Blue Square Premier survival race.

Plenty of brickbats have been thrown at Thorne since his arrival last September – some fair and others less so for a 21-year-old learning his trade – but his transformation from villain to hero epitomised the vast improvement in Rovers' overall play.

York had looked to cash in quickly on obvious nerves in the home ranks, Levi Mackin producing a chipped effort from 20 yards which was helped over by Danny Ireland.

Neil Barrett chanced his arm from further out eight minutes later, forcing Ireland into an even better save.

It was one-way traffic for the opening 20 minutes, but Rovers suddenly clicked into gear when Danny Powell fed Isaiah Rankin for a low shot saved by Michael Ingham.

A minute later they were ahead, and it was all Powell's own work. The on-loan MK Dons winger jinked his way into space on the left and saw his attempted cross loop over Ingham and into the far corner of the net.

York levelled in the 35th minute when Chris Carruthers nodded a cross back into danger area and Mackin's shot cannoned off David Brown's back to beat a wrong-footed Ireland.

They could easily have gone ahead within seconds, but Richard Pacquette's audacious long-range effort was tipped wide by Ireland.

The excellent Ireland showed sharp reactions again after the restart, clutching Barrett's flicked header from a Brodie cross.

Rovers were back in front when Thorne got on the end of Brown's free-kick and volleyed home from 10 yards.

Smith could even have made the closing stages more comfortable for the Nailsworth faithful, glancing a header wide from Platt's free-kick.

Forest Green: D. Ireland; J. Hodgkiss, M. Preece, C. Armstrong (O. Thorne 46), P. Stonehouse; C. Platt, J. Smith, D. Brown (M. Fowler 77), D. Powell; T. Ameobi, I. Rankin (R. Styche 73); Subs not used: S. Davies, D. Wilkinson.

York City: M. Ingham; D. Parslow, D. McGurk, L. Graham, J. Meredith; B. Purkiss (K. Gall 73), L. Mackin (M. Rankine 68), N. Barrett, C. Carruthers; R. Pacquette (C. Pitt 68), R. Brodie; Subs not used: J. Clarke, M. Gash.

Referee: C. Powell (Dorset)

Attendance: 892

Star man: Danny Powell – The winger attacked from both flanks