Forest Green Rovers suffered a narrow 0-1 defeat at The Bolt New Lawn against Rochdale, a result that saw the visitors overtake them in the English National League standings. The tightly contested affair was decided by Kyron Gordon’s goal just before half-time.
The first half was a cagey affair, with both sides struggling to create clear chances. The midfield battle proved intense, with neither team able to establish sustained dominance. Daniel Moss of Rochdale received a yellow card in the 37th minute for a foul, highlighting the combative nature of the match. As the first half neared its conclusion, the game sparked into life with a flurry of cautions. Tom Knowles received a yellow card for Forest Green Rovers, quickly followed by Harvey Gilmour for Rochdale, both within a minute of each other. The pivotal moment arrived in the 44th minute when Kyron Gordon, assisted by Aidan Barlow, found the back of the net, giving Rochdale a slender lead heading into the break.
Forest Green attempted to claw their way back into the game in the second half, prompting a series of tactical substitutions. In the 60th minute, Christian Doidge was replaced by Jose Marquez, followed shortly after by Harry Cardwell taking Kairo Mitchell’s place. The changes continued in the 67th minute, with Isaac Moore making way for Nick Haughton, as Robbie Savage sought to inject fresh impetus into his side’s attack. Rochdale responded with a substitution of their own, Connor McBride replacing Aidan Barlow, who had provided the assist for the earlier goal.
As the clock ticked down, Forest Green made further changes, bringing on James Balagizi and Neil Kengni in a bid to salvage a point. Rochdale, however, remained resolute in defence. In the 83rd minute, Ethan Ebanks-Landell received a yellow card. Rochdale then made a triple substitution in the 85th minute, bringing on Casey Pettit, Tyler Smith, and Tarryn Allarakhia, aiming to see out the game and secure the victory. Forest Green’s frustration culminated in a yellow card for Tre Pemberton in added time. Rochdale then made a final substitution, bringing on Levi Amantchi for Connor McBride, further solidifying their defensive posture.
The final whistle confirmed a 0-1 victory for Rochdale, a result that moved them to the top of the league table with 30 points from 12 games. Forest Green, previously undefeated and holding the top spot, now sit in second place with 29 points from 14 games, marking their first loss of the season and a failure to score in their last two matches.