Forest Green Rovers ran riot as they beat Salford City 4-0 in the first meeting between the two sides.

Matty Stevens scored his first League goal for Rovers after just three minutes, before Aaron Collins and Ebou Adams also got off the mark in green to make it 3-0 at the break.

Stevens grabbed a second just before the hour mark, the former boxer racing through on goal to land the knock-out blow.

After a midday pitch inspection confirmed the game would go ahead, Mark Cooper made three changes to the side that drew 0-0 with Stevenage last weekend.

Ebou Adams came in for the suspended Kyle Taylor, while Collins was preferred to Junior Mondal. Farrend Rawson was unavailable following an injury sustained last weekend, so Matt Mills made a return from a hamstring injury to take his place at the back.

It was an electric start from the visitors, and they raced into an early lead after just three minutes.

Adams, who provided a number of driving runs throughout the first half, darted into the box before setting the ball up nicely for Joseph Mills, and his low cross skittered nicely across the wet surface to the front post for Stevens to jab home his first League goal for the club.

Just two minutes later, the Gambian international stretched his legs again, and his great work won Rovers a free-kick on the edge of the area.

Joseph Mills stepped up to strike it, but his low effort was well gathered by Kyle Letheren.

After going behind so early, Salford began to grow into the game, Louis Maynard testing Lewis Thomas from range.

It didn’t take long for Rovers to add a second though, Collins latching onto an under-hit backpass from Carl Piergianni before showing his composure to finish past Letheren at the front post with 16 minutes on the clock.

Chances for the hosts were few and far between, Luke Armstrong’s header flying over after 18 minutes after a great cross from Ibou Touray.

Stevens could have had himself a second just before the half-hour mark, Joseph Mills getting into a great position on the left before seeing the striker squeezed out as he tried to turn the cross home.

Rovers’ key man of the opening 45 minutes got his first FGR goal after half an hour, Adams firing an effort goalwards from the area which, after a slight deflection, nestled in the bottom corner.

Salford thought they had found a way back into the game with 41 minutes on the clock, as Cameron Burgess lashed the ball into the roof of the net after Thomas had saved from a corner, but the linesman’s flag cut short the centre-back’s celebration.

Two minutes into the allotted three of added time, Collins could have grabbed himself a second, as he nonchalantly volleyed Jack Aitchison’s clever ball towards the bottom corner. Letheran palmed the shot away with Stevens waiting eagerly at the back post.

Rovers didn’t let up after the break though, and Stevens added a fourth just before the hour mark.

Collins was fouled as he tried to break away for Rovers, but a good advantage from referee James Oldham saw Aitchison slide the striker through to finish into the bottom right-hand corner with aplomb.

Mani Dieseruvwe had an opportunity to pull one back with 10 minutes to go, but his powerful header from 10 yards out was comfortable for Thomas.

Salford XI: Letheren, Wiseman, Touray, Piergianni, Armstrong, Maynard (Rooney 64’), Burgess (Jervis 46’), Shelton (Lloyd 46’), Dieseruvwe, Pond (c), Jones

Unused subs: Hughes, Rodney, Evans, Doyle

Forest Green XI: Thomas, Shephard (Godwin-Malife 75’), Bernard, M.Mills, Winchester, Stevens, Collins (Mondal 78’), Adams, Kitching, J.Mills (c), Aitchison (Grubb 85’)

Unused subs: Wollacott, Allen, Morton, McGinley

Referee: James Oldham

Attendance: 2,561 (335 away)

Man of the Match: Ebou Adams

Next up: Crawley Town, The New Lawn, Saturday, October 5, 3:00pm