Match ends, Forest Green Rovers 1, Colchester United 2.
Forest GreenForest Green Rovers1ColchesterColchester United2
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
Forest Green
Formation 4-4-2
- 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
Formation 4-4-2
- 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
Post update
Full Time
Second Half ends, Forest Green Rovers 1, Colchester United 2.
Post update
Olamide Shodipo (Colchester United) wins a free kick on the right wing.
Post update
Foul by Reece Brown (Forest Green Rovers).
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Attempt saved. Dayle Grubb (Forest Green Rovers) right footed shot from outside the box is saved in the top right corner.
Booking
Tom Eastman (Colchester United) is shown the yellow card for a bad foul.
Post update
Foul by Tom Eastman (Colchester United).
Post update
Christian Doidge (Forest Green Rovers) wins a free kick in the defensive half.
Post update
Foul by Reece Brown (Forest Green Rovers).
Post update
Liam Mandeville (Colchester United) wins a free kick in the attacking half.
Post update
Foul by Reece Brown (Forest Green Rovers).
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Olamide Shodipo (Colchester United) wins a free kick in the defensive half.
Post update
Attempt blocked. Dale Bennett (Forest Green Rovers) right footed shot from outside the box is blocked.
Post update
Corner, Forest Green Rovers. Conceded by Kane Vincent-Young.
Post update
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
Substitution, Colchester United. Liam Mandeville replaces Sammie Szmodics.
Post update
Attempt saved. Olamide Shodipo (Colchester United) right footed shot from the left side of the box is saved in the centre of the goal.
Post update
Foul by Brandon Comley (Colchester United).
Post update
Reuben Reid (Forest Green Rovers) wins a free kick in the defensive half.
Post update
Ryan Jackson (Colchester United) wins a free kick in the defensive half.
