A late surge from Forest Green Rovers earned them a dramatic 2-1 victory over Braintree Town at The New Lawn. The closely fought contest saw the momentum swing between both sides before the hosts finally capitalised in the closing stages.
Braintree Town silenced the home crowd with an early goal in the 10th minute. Finley Wilkinson’s strike gave the visitors the lead, injecting an unexpected dose of drama into the match. Stung by the early setback, Forest Green began to assert themselves, their efforts culminating in a 35th-minute equaliser. Harry Cardwell found the back of the net, restoring parity and setting the stage for a tense second half.
The second period saw both sides trade attacks, with yellow cards issued and tactical substitutions employed. Forest Green manager Steve Cotterill sought to revitalise his attack, replacing goalscorer Cardwell with Christian Doidge and later introducing Joe Quigley. Braintree’s Angelo Harrop also made changes, aiming to bolster his defence and counter the Rovers’ increasing pressure.
As the clock ticked down, the tension mounted with both teams searching for a decisive goal. Finally, in the 87th minute, the deadlock was broken. Kyle McAllister emerged as the hero for Forest Green, slotting home the winner to spark jubilant celebrations amongst the home support. Further substitutions followed in the final minutes as both sides looked to manage the game, but the scoreline remained unchanged. McAllister’s late winner secured all three points for Forest Green, leaving Braintree to rue their missed chances.
The victory keeps Forest Green second in the National League, although they have a game in hand over the leaders. Braintree Town remain in 20th place. This fixture marked the first meeting between the two sides in three seasons.