Match ends, Forest Green Rovers 3, Macclesfield Town 1.
Forest Green Rovers 3-1 Macclesfield Town
- From the section Conference
Forest Green moved above play-off rivals Macclesfield into fourth in the Conference with a vital win.
A lively opening saw Aarran Racine's bullet header give Rovers the lead before veteran striker Jon Parkin produced a stunning finish from the halfway line to lob Rhys Taylor.
Lee Bell blasted home from 25 yards to get the Silkmen back into the game.
Rovers made sure of all three points when Dale Bennett's cross evaded everyone and crept into the far corner.
Both sides remain in the play-off places, but sixth-placed Eastleigh have a game in hand and will push Macclesfield out of the top five with a win.
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Forest Green Rovers manager Ady Pennock told BBC Radio Gloucestershire:
"We knew at half time it was going to be difficult with the wind against us, but I'm very proud of them.
"(Jon Parkin's goal) would grace any football pitch up and down the land. Kurtis (Guthrie) and him are stoking up a very good partnership.
"We're scoring a lot of goals and long may that continue.
"There's no breathing space at all. If we had the three points that we were deducted at the start of the season then we'd have breathing space."
Line-ups
Forest Green
- 13Arnold
- 10Kelly
- 16Racine
- 19Sinclair
- 6Bennett
- 4Clough
- 18Frear
- 2Pipe
- 9FleetwoodSubstituted forMarwoodat 90+2'minutes
- 20Parkin
- 17Guthrie
Substitutes
- 1Russell
- 12Kamdjo
- 15Bender
- 26Coles
- 33Marwood
Macclesfield
- 1Taylor
- 3Barrow
- 4Audel
- 18BellBooked at 66mins
- 28Grant
- 12CowanSubstituted forPhenixat 87'minutes
- 6TurnbullBooked at 70mins
- 23WhitakerBooked at 82mins
- 9Holroyd
- 36SampsonSubstituted forRoweat 75'minutes
- 29Barnes-Homer
Substitutes
- 11Moke
- 15Haining
- 20Branagan
- 27Phenix
- 34Rowe
- Referee:
- Darren England
Match Stats
Home TeamForest GreenAway TeamMacclesfield
- Possession
- Home45%
- Away55%
- Shots
- Home9
- Away6
- Shots on Target
- Home5
- Away3
- Corners
- Home11
- Away11
- Fouls
- Home5
- Away12
Live Text
Full Time
Second Half ends, Forest Green Rovers 3, Macclesfield Town 1.
Foul by Michael Phenix (Macclesfield Town).
Elliott Frear (Forest Green Rovers) wins a free kick.
Substitution
Substitution, Forest Green Rovers. James Marwood replaces Stuart Fleetwood.
Attempt saved. Jon Parkin (Forest Green Rovers) right footed shot from outside the box is saved.
Substitution
Substitution, Macclesfield Town. Michael Phenix replaces Dan Cowan.
Corner, Macclesfield Town.
Booking
Danny Whitaker (Macclesfield Town) is shown the yellow card for a bad foul.
Foul by Danny Whitaker (Macclesfield Town).
Aarran Racine (Forest Green Rovers) wins a free kick.
Corner, Macclesfield Town.
Foul by Chris Holroyd (Macclesfield Town).
Rob Sinclair (Forest Green Rovers) wins a free kick.
Attempt saved. Danny M. Rowe (Macclesfield Town) right footed shot from outside the box is saved.
Corner, Macclesfield Town.
Corner, Macclesfield Town.
Corner, Macclesfield Town.
Foul by Kurtis Guthrie (Forest Green Rovers).
Alex Grant (Macclesfield Town) wins a free kick.
Substitution
Substitution, Macclesfield Town. Danny M. Rowe replaces Jack Sampson.
Booking
Paul Turnbull (Macclesfield Town) is shown the yellow card for dissent.
Foul by Dale Bennett (Forest Green Rovers).
Lee Bell (Macclesfield Town) wins a free kick.
Booking
Lee Bell (Macclesfield Town) is shown the yellow card for a bad foul.
Foul by Lee Bell (Macclesfield Town).
Elliott Frear (Forest Green Rovers) wins a free kick.
Goal!
Goal! Forest Green Rovers 3, Macclesfield Town 1. Dale Bennett (Forest Green Rovers) right footed shot from a difficult angle and long range on the right to the top left corner. Assisted by Kurtis Guthrie.
Attempt saved. Matthew Barnes-Homer (Macclesfield Town) right footed shot from the centre of the box is saved.
Corner, Forest Green Rovers.
Attempt missed. Jack Sampson (Macclesfield Town) header from the centre of the box misses to the left.
Foul by Rob Sinclair (Forest Green Rovers).
Lee Bell (Macclesfield Town) wins a free kick.
Second Half
Second Half begins Forest Green Rovers 2, Macclesfield Town 1.
Half Time
First Half ends, Forest Green Rovers 2, Macclesfield Town 1.
Attempt missed. Aarran Racine (Forest Green Rovers) header from the centre of the box misses to the right.
Foul by Chris Holroyd (Macclesfield Town).
Marcus Kelly (Forest Green Rovers) wins a free kick.
Attempt blocked. Jack Sampson (Macclesfield Town) right footed shot from outside the box is blocked.
Attempt missed. David Pipe (Forest Green Rovers) right footed shot from the right side of the box misses to the right.