Forest Green Rovers' hopes of an automatic promotion spot came to an end in the cruellest of fashions as Crewe Alexandra struck twice in the closing minutes to record a 4-3 win.

After Chris Porter gave the hosts the lead, FGR looked en route to a huge three points as goals from Reece Brown, Junior Mondal and Christian Doidge put them in the driving seat.

However, an own goal from Joseph Mills gave the home side hope before Charlie Kirk hit twice in the dying minutes to give the hosts all three points.

Manager Mark Cooper was able to name an unchanged team to the one that had beaten Cambridge United just five days earlier.

Fresh from notching his first goal of the campaign, an early chance fell the way of Gavin Gunning but his flicked header from a Mills corner was headed just wide of his own net by James Jones.

The Irishman almost found the net again after 17 minutes as he uncharacteristically, let fly from 30 yards but his effort flashed just wide of the top corner.

Just two minutes later, the hosts were in front. A counter attack set them away before the ball was worked out to Tom Lowery and his cut back was deftly touched home by Porter who flicked the ball beyond James Montgomery with his heel.

Another chance opened up for the hosts just after the half-hour mark as Perry Ng wriggled past two Rovers men on the right before firing an effort wide of the far post.

Rovers were back on level terms before the break though, a good move from the left saw Dayle Grubb work space to shoot but instead he set the ball to Brown who fired home from the edge of the area.

With the momentum somewhat shifted, Brown went in search of a second and almost found it after 41 minutes, but after some great build-up play, the midfielder saw his effort well saved.

A fast start to the second half was what was needed for Rovers and it was exactly what they got.

Just two minutes after the restart, Carl Winchester played a well waited lob into the path of Mondal who fired an absolute beauty of a half volley into the net from outside the area.

Just five minutes later, the visitors had another. Mondal was once again involved as he raced into the area before squaring the ball to his strike partner Doidge, who gratefully tucked home.

In what was fast becoming a thoroughly entertaining game, the hosts pulled a goal back. Joseph Mills tried to deal with a Charlie Kirk cross, but instead saw the ball spin off his foot and into the back of the net past a helpless Montgomery.

The hosts were growing in confidence as they pushed for a leveller which came in the 88th minute when a low ball in from Tom Lowery found Kirk in space at the back post to fire home.

Crewe completed the unlikeliest of comebacks in the 90th minute when the ball fell to Kirk in the middle of the FGR half and, with Montgomery out of his net, Kirk was able to loop the ball into the empty net and leave the visitors shell-shocked and their automatic hopes over with just one game of the regular season to go.

Crewe Alexandra XI: Jaaskelainen, Ng, Porter, Jones (Finney 74’), Ainley (Dale 66’), Nolan, Wintle, Lowery, Green (Taylor-Sinclair 84'), Kirk, Hunt

Unused subs: Garrett, Miller, Reilly, Sass-Davies

Forest Green Rovers XI: Montgomery, Shephard, Rawson, Winchester, Grubb (McCoulsky 80’), Doidge, Brown, Gunning, McGinley, Mills, Mondal (Reid 90+1')

Unused subs: Ward, James, Collins, Digby, Godwin-Malife

Referee: Neil Hair

Attendance: 3,906 (218)

Man of the Match: Carl Winchester

Forest Green will be in Central League action on Tuesday, April 30, at home to Plymouth Argyle at Stanley Park, kick-off 1pm.