ALFRETON TOWN 2 FOREST GREEN ROVERS 1
ANOTHER woeful first-half showing ensured Forest Green ended their Blue Square Bet Premier campaign with five straight defeats.
Josh Law and Nathan Arnold were gifted goals to leave Rovers with another mountain to climb, and despite Jamie Turley's reply early in the second period they could not repair the damage.
Within nine minutes they were behind. Jared Hodgkiss was robbed in midfield by Nathan Arnold and Bradley's lay-off found Law for a driven 20-yard shot that nestled in the bottom corner of the net.
Magno Vieira had started the game in an unfamiliar midfield role, but he was unceremoniously replaced by Matty Taylor with 13 minutes of the first half to play.
The change did not ruffle the home side, and Sam Russell had to be alert to gather Alastair Taylor's cross-shot at the second attempt.
Rovers' keeper was then left totally helpless for Alfreton's second goal, Arnold pouncing on a mix-up between Hodgkiss and Yan Klukowski at the edge of the area and slotting clinically into the bottom corner.
Hockaday made another tactical change, replacing Yemi Odubade with the out-of-contract James Rowe, but a shambles of a performance was summed up by the sight of Chris Stokes and Taylor almost coming to blows as they left the pitch.
Rovers went back to basics at the start of the second half, lining up in a 4-4-2 formation, and they immediately looked more at ease.
James Norwood had already slashed one wide when Connolly pick-pocketed Connor Franklin and pulled the ball back for Taylor, who fired wide of an empty goal via a deflection off Theo Streete.
The resulting corner was swung in by Norwood to the middle of the Reds area, where Turley soared highest to plant a header past goalkeeper Jordan Pickford.
See Monday's Citizen for Peter Orchard's match overview and match reaction.
Forest Green: S. Russell; J. Hodgkiss, J. Turley, D. Bennett, C. Stokes; M. Vieira (M. Taylor 32), K. Forbes, Y. Klukowski (S. Williams 79); Y. Odubade (J. Rowe 39), R. Connolly, J. Norwood; Subs not used: E. Asafu-Adjaye, M. Bulman.
ANOTHER woeful first-half showing ensured Forest Green ended their Blue Square Bet Premier campaign with five straight defeats.
Josh Law and Nathan Arnold were gifted goals to leave Rovers with another mountain to climb, and despite Jamie Turley's reply early in the second period they could not repair the damage.
Within nine minutes they were behind. Jared Hodgkiss was robbed in midfield by Nathan Arnold and Bradley's lay-off found Law for a driven 20-yard shot that nestled in the bottom corner of the net.
Magno Vieira had started the game in an unfamiliar midfield role, but he was unceremoniously replaced by Matty Taylor with 13 minutes of the first half to play.
The change did not ruffle the home side, and Sam Russell had to be alert to gather Alastair Taylor's cross-shot at the second attempt.
Rovers' keeper was then left totally helpless for Alfreton's second goal, Arnold pouncing on a mix-up between Hodgkiss and Yan Klukowski at the edge of the area and slotting clinically into the bottom corner.
Hockaday made another tactical change, replacing Yemi Odubade with the out-of-contract James Rowe, but a shambles of a performance was summed up by the sight of Chris Stokes and Taylor almost coming to blows as they left the pitch.
Rovers went back to basics at the start of the second half, lining up in a 4-4-2 formation, and they immediately looked more at ease.
James Norwood had already slashed one wide when Connolly pick-pocketed Connor Franklin and pulled the ball back for Taylor, who fired wide of an empty goal via a deflection off Theo Streete.
The resulting corner was swung in by Norwood to the middle of the Reds area, where Turley soared highest to plant a header past goalkeeper Jordan Pickford.
See Monday's Citizen for Peter Orchard's match overview and match reaction.
Forest Green: S. Russell; J. Hodgkiss, J. Turley, D. Bennett, C. Stokes; M. Vieira (M. Taylor 32), K. Forbes, Y. Klukowski (S. Williams 79); Y. Odubade (J. Rowe 39), R. Connolly, J. Norwood; Subs not used: E. Asafu-Adjaye, M. Bulman.