Match ends, Forest Green Rovers 2, Southport 1.
Forest GreenForest Green Rovers2SouthportSouthport1
Forest Green continued their 100% start to the National League season but had to hang on to beat Southport and make it nine wins out of nine.
Aaron O'Connor put Rovers ahead, latching on to a clever ball from Sam Wedgbury to score from an acute angle.
Keanu Marsh-Brown made it 2-0 when he converted Kurtis Guthrie's pass.
But Southport replied when Andy Wright headed home from a corner and almost equalised when Jonny Maxted saved Mike Phenix's shot at his near post.
Forest Green boss Ady Pennock told BBC Radio Gloucestershire:
"There's no easy games, we said that before, there was a strong wind and it's a great three points - another record - so we just keep marching on.
"That's nine wins on the spin and that's phenomenal - I've never known that in football, not in my time anyway as a player or a manager.
"We just needed that third goal, if we'd have scored the third goal I think that would have been the end of the game, but they scored and made it 2-1, which was squeaky bum time, but we got over the line, so I'm very pleased.
"This doesn't come along every season, we know we're not going to carry on and win all these games, we're going to lose sometimes and we're going to draw, but we've got to enjoy it while we can."
Line-ups
Forest Green
Formation 4-4-1-1
- 23Maxted
- 2Pipe
- 6Bennett
- 19Sinclair
- 10Kelly
- 16Racine
- 9Marsh-BrownSubstituted forSam-Yorkeat 79'minutes
- 8Wedgbury
- 11FrearSubstituted forJonesat 90+3'minutes
- 17Guthrie
- 7O'ConnorSubstituted forParkinat 82'minutes
Substitutes
- 4Clough
- 5Jones
- 12Kamdjo
- 15Sam-Yorke
- 20Parkin
Southport
Formation 4-4-2
- 1Coughlin
- 2Challoner
- 6FosterBooked at 23mins
- 4Nolan
- 8WrightBooked at 20mins
- 20Davis
- 22PhenixBooked at 90mins
- 11Jones
- 16Rutherford
- 17AlmondSubstituted forCameronat 80'minutes
- 15McCarthySubstituted forAllenat 59'minutes
Substitutes
- 3Beesley
- 7Allen
- 14Joyce
- 19Viscosi
- 23Cameron
- Referee:
- Craig Hicks
- Attendance:
- 1,535
Match Stats
Home TeamForest GreenAway TeamSouthport
- Possession
- Home50%
- Away50%
- Shots
- Home12
- Away10
- Shots on Target
- Home4
- Away3
- Corners
- Home5
- Away9
- Fouls
- Home7
- Away13
Live Text
Post update
Full Time
Second Half ends, Forest Green Rovers 2, Southport 1.
Substitution
Substitution, Forest Green Rovers. Darren Jones replaces Elliott Frear.
Booking
Michael Phenix (Southport) is shown the yellow card for a bad foul.
Post update
Foul by Michael Phenix (Southport).
Post update
Aarran Racine (Forest Green Rovers) wins a free kick.
Post update
Foul by Jon Parkin (Forest Green Rovers).
Post update
Liam Nolan (Southport) wins a free kick.
Post update
Foul by Courtney Cameron (Southport).
Post update
Kurtis Guthrie (Forest Green Rovers) wins a free kick.
Post update
Corner, Southport.
Post update
Attempt saved. Michael Phenix (Southport) right footed shot from outside the box is saved.
Post update
Corner, Southport.
Post update
Corner, Southport.
Post update
Foul by David Pipe (Forest Green Rovers).
Post update
Michael Phenix (Southport) wins a free kick.
Post update
Sam Wedgbury (Forest Green Rovers) hits the woodwork with a right footed shot from outside the box.
Substitution
Substitution, Forest Green Rovers. Jon Parkin replaces Aaron O'Connor.
Post update
Attempt missed. Aaron O'Connor (Forest Green Rovers) right footed shot from outside the box. Assisted by Marcus Kelly with a cross.
Substitution
Substitution, Southport. Courtney Cameron replaces Louis Almond.
