Forest Green Rovers 1-2 Colchester United

Colchester's slim play-off aspirations were given a boost by victory at Forest Green.

Early goals in either half from Drey Wright and Ben Stevenson left the U's four points shy of the top seven, with Rovers, for whom Reuben Reid scored a penalty, six points above the drop zone.

Colchester caught Forest Green cold from the kick-off as Wright got on the end of Sammie Szmodics' cross to poke over the line after just 16 seconds.

Visiting manager Mark Cooper appeared unhappy with the way the game was going as he came down from the stands to the technical area, and moments later his side were awarded a penalty.

Haydn Hollis took a tumble in the box under pressure from Tom Eastman and Reid stepped up to net his 14th goal of the season and level the contest.

Yet Forest Green were once again sluggish at the beginning of the second period and Stevenson fizzed home to restore Colchester's lead in the 47th minute.

The U's were nearly pegged back again right at the death, though, as goalkeeper Sam Walker touched Dayle Grubb's free-kick around a post.

Report supplied by Press Association.

• Line-ups
• Match Stats
• Live Text

Line-ups

Forest Green

• 1Collins
• 2Bennett
• 32Hollis
• 16GunningBooked at 34mins
• 17Wishart
• 31BraySubstituted forLairdat 73'minutes
• 5CollinsSubstituted forBrownat 78'minutes
• 34OsbourneBooked at 74mins
• 8Grubb
• 26Reid
• 25CampbellSubstituted forDoidgeat 56'minutes

Substitutes

• 3Laird
• 9Doidge
• 10Brown
• 12Simpson
• 15Cooper
• 20Rawson
• 30Belford

Colchester

• 1Walker
• 2Jackson
• 5ProsserBooked at 25mins
• 18EastmanBooked at 90mins
• 22Vincent-YoungBooked at 69mins
• 7WrightSubstituted forMurrayat 78'minutes
• 17Stevenson
• 14Comley
• 20SeniorSubstituted forShodipoat 70'minutes
• 10SzmodicsSubstituted forMandevilleat 87'minutes
• 19Mandron

Substitutes

• 6Kent
• 8Loft
• 15Shodipo
• 16Murray
• 21Mandeville
• 25Barnes
• 27Ogedi-Uzokwe

Referee:

Brett Huxtable

Attendance:

2,869

Match Stats

Home TeamForest GreenAway TeamColchester

Possession

Home54%

Away46%

Shots

Home8

Away8

Shots on Target

Home4

Away4

Corners

Home8

Away1

Fouls

Home17

Away17

Live Text

Posted at

Match ends, Forest Green Rovers 1, Colchester United 2.

Full Time

Posted at 90'+7'

Second Half ends, Forest Green Rovers 1, Colchester United 2.

Posted at 90'+7'

Olamide Shodipo (Colchester United) wins a free kick on the right wing.

Posted at 90'+7'

Foul by Reece Brown (Forest Green Rovers).

Posted at 90'+6'

Attempt saved. Dayle Grubb (Forest Green Rovers) right footed shot from outside the box is saved in the top right corner.

Booking

Posted at 90'+5'

Tom Eastman (Colchester United) is shown the yellow card for a bad foul.

Posted at 90'+5'

Foul by Tom Eastman (Colchester United).

Posted at 90'+5'

Christian Doidge (Forest Green Rovers) wins a free kick in the defensive half.

Posted at 90'+4'

Foul by Reece Brown (Forest Green Rovers).

Posted at 90'+4'

Liam Mandeville (Colchester United) wins a free kick in the attacking half.

Posted at 90'

Foul by Reece Brown (Forest Green Rovers).

Posted at 90'

Olamide Shodipo (Colchester United) wins a free kick in the defensive half.

Posted at 90'

Attempt blocked. Dale Bennett (Forest Green Rovers) right footed shot from outside the box is blocked.

Posted at 88'

Corner, Forest Green Rovers. Conceded by Kane Vincent-Young.

Posted at 87'

Attempt saved. Dale Bennett (Forest Green Rovers) left footed shot from the right side of the box is saved in the centre of the goal.

Substitution

Posted at 87'

Substitution, Colchester United. Liam Mandeville replaces Sammie Szmodics.

Posted at 86'

Attempt saved. Olamide Shodipo (Colchester United) right footed shot from the left side of the box is saved in the centre of the goal.

Posted at 85'

Foul by Brandon Comley (Colchester United).

Posted at 85'

Reuben Reid (Forest Green Rovers) wins a free kick in the defensive half.

Posted at 81'

Ryan Jackson (Colchester United) wins a free kick in the defensive half.

Posted at 81'

Foul by Dale Bennett (Forest Green Rovers).

Posted at 81'

Attempt blocked. Dayle Grubb (Forest Green Rovers) right footed shot from outside the box is blocked.

Substitution

Posted at 78'

Substitution, Colchester United. Sean Murray replaces Drey Wright.

Substitution

Posted at 78'

Substitution, Forest Green Rovers. Reece Brown replaces Lee Collins.

Posted at 77'

Foul by Ryan Jackson (Colchester United).

Posted at 77'

Daniel Wishart (Forest Green Rovers) wins a free kick in the defensive half.

Booking

Posted at 74'

Isaiah Osbourne (Forest Green Rovers) is shown the yellow card for a bad foul.

Posted at 74'

Ben Stevenson (Colchester United) wins a free kick in the defensive half.

Posted at 74'

Foul by Isaiah Osbourne (Forest Green Rovers).

Substitution

Posted at 73'

Substitution, Forest Green Rovers. Scott Laird replaces Alex Bray.

Posted at 71'

Attempt missed. Tom Eastman (Colchester United) header from the centre of the box is close, but misses to the left following a set piece situation.

Posted at 71'

Drey Wright (Colchester United) wins a free kick in the defensive half.

Posted at 71'

Foul by Isaiah Osbourne (Forest Green Rovers).

Posted at 70'

Attempt blocked. Drey Wright (Colchester United) right footed shot from the centre of the box is blocked.

Substitution

Posted at 70'

Substitution, Colchester United. Olamide Shodipo replaces Courtney Senior.

Booking

Posted at 69'

Kane Vincent-Young (Colchester United) is shown the yellow card for a bad foul.

Posted at 69'

Dale Bennett (Forest Green Rovers) wins a free kick on the left wing.

Posted at 69'

Foul by Kane Vincent-Young (Colchester United).

Posted at 67'

Foul by Daniel Wishart (Forest Green Rovers).

Posted at 67'

Ben Stevenson (Colchester United) wins a free kick in the attacking half.

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