Connor Wickham’s fifth goal of the season handed struggling Forest Green just their second home win with a 1-0 victory against Bolton.
The former Premier League striker pounced on 32 minutes to grab a vital victory for Ian Burchnall’s side.
It was Forest Green who conjured the first meaningful chance on 12 minutes. Reece Brown and Kyle McAllister opened the Trotters up, but Armani Little fluffed his lines – firing into the feet of on-loan Manchester City goalkeeper James Trafford as the net bulged in anticipation.
Chances were at a premium but Rovers got their noses in front before the break – Corey O’Keeffe’s run and cross from the by-line found the predatory Wickham lurking inside the box to thump in his fourth goal in five games beyond the helpless Trafford.
Bolton cranked up the heat after the break and were a whisker from a 58th-minute equaliser, but Luke McGee’s sharp reflexes denied Dion Charles.
It was Charles who should have snatched a point for the Trotters with six minutes to go, but he drilled the ball into McGee.
With a minute of normal time to go, Bolton substitute Kieran Sadlier volleyed wide with just McGee to beat as Rovers held out.
Match report supplied by PA Media.
Line-ups
Forest Green
Formation 3-4-1-2
- 1McGee
- 6CargillBooked at 83mins
- 15Moore-Taylor
- 23Fernandes MarquesBooked at 58mins
- 2O’Keeffe
- 8HendryBooked at 66minsSubstituted forMarchat 73′minutes
- 7Stevenson
- 17McAllisterBooked at 19mins
- 10Little
- 29Brown
- 21WickhamSubstituted forPeart-Harrisat 79′minutes
Substitutes
- 3Bernard
- 5Casey
- 11Boyes
- 24Thomas
- 25Peart-Harris
- 27Bunker
- 28March
Bolton
Formation 3-4-1-2
- 19Trafford
- 2Jones
- 5Almeida Santos
- 6JohnstonSubstituted forIredaleat 45′minutes
- 21BradleySubstituted forSadlierat 78′minutes
- 4Williams
- 25ThomasonSubstituted forAfolayanat 63′minutes
- 3John
- 20Lee
- 10Charles
- 24KachungaSubstituted forBödvarssonat 70′minutes
Substitutes
- 7Sadlier
- 8Sheehan
- 9Bödvarsson
- 14Iredale
- 15Aimson
- 16Morley
- 17Afolayan
- Referee:
- Marc Edwards
- Attendance:
- 3,419
Live Text
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Match ends, Forest Green Rovers 1, Bolton Wanderers 0.
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Second Half ends, Forest Green Rovers 1, Bolton Wanderers 0.
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Attempt missed. Kieran Sadlier (Bolton Wanderers) left footed shot from the centre of the box is too high. Assisted by Kieran Lee.
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Ricardo Santos (Bolton Wanderers) wins a free kick in the defensive half.
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Foul by Josh March (Forest Green Rovers).
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Attempt blocked. Myles Peart-Harris (Forest Green Rovers) right footed shot from the left side of the box is blocked. Assisted by Reece Brown.
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Attempt missed. Jón Bödvarsson (Bolton Wanderers) header from the centre of the box is just a bit too high. Assisted by Declan John with a cross.
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Foul by Oladapo Afolayan (Bolton Wanderers).
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Corey O’Keeffe (Forest Green Rovers) wins a free kick in the defensive half.
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Attempt missed. Kyle McAllister (Forest Green Rovers) left footed shot from the left side of the box is high and wide to the right. Assisted by Myles Peart-Harris following a fast break.
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Corner, Bolton Wanderers. Conceded by Luke McGee.
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Attempt saved. Dion Charles (Bolton Wanderers) right footed shot from the right side of the box is saved in the bottom right corner.
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Baily Cargill (Forest Green Rovers) is shown the yellow card for a bad foul.
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Gethin Jones (Bolton Wanderers) wins a free kick in the defensive half.
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Foul by Josh March (Forest Green Rovers).
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Attempt blocked. Oladapo Afolayan (Bolton Wanderers) left footed shot from the centre of the box is blocked.
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Corner, Bolton Wanderers. Conceded by Jordan Moore-Taylor.
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Offside, Forest Green Rovers. Armani Little tries a through ball, but Josh March is caught offside.
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Corner, Bolton Wanderers. Conceded by Armani Little.
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Attempt blocked. Declan John (Bolton Wanderers) right footed shot from outside the box is blocked. Assisted by Oladapo Afolayan.
