Forest Green ran out 2-0 winners at Vale Park to continue their play-off push.

Reece Brown opened the scoring with just over 20 minutes to play before grabbing a second on the counter-attack in the final seconds.

The brace took Brown’s tally in the league this season up to ten.

Mark Cooper made two changes to the side that drew with Carlisle United at The New Lawn last weekend as the injured Joseph Mills was replaced by Paul Digby and Udoka Godwin-Malife made way for Lloyd James.

After quite a feisty opening few minutes, Rovers felt their way into the game with Brown finding some space in the attacking areas.

However, in the 16th minute, it was Lewis Ward who was called into action three times in the space of 20 seconds. Cristian Montano forged an opportunity for himself on the left which forced Ward to parry the ball away. Montano was denied again moments later from just inside the area before Ricky Miller’s shot from the rebound was stopped by a strong left hand from Ward.

The home supporters thought they should have had a penalty a couple of minutes later when Miller went down under pressure but the referee waved away the claims.

Vale continued to attack with intensity as Tom Conlon came very close with a curling effort going just wide of the post.

Just before the hour mark, FGR created a half chance after having sustained a lot of home pressure. The ball was worked to Brown on the right hand side but Doidge was unable to direct his low cross goal-ward.

10 minutes later another surge was created down the right with Liam Shephard getting in behind the Vale defence but his low cross couldn’t pick out a green and black shirt.

Vale began to pick up the pace again later in the half with a number of crosses threatening to trouble Ward but none of them resulted in any opportunities.

Cooper made an early double change in the second half. The manager called upon George Williams and Junior Mondal just eight minutes into the second period to try and spark a bit more life into the Rovers attack.

The two substitutes were instantly a threat with Mondal agonisingly close to getting on the end of a Shephard cross.

Miller had another shot shortly after this for Vale but was denied again by Ward before a Carl Winchester shot was eventually gathered by Scott Brown as it bounced in front of him.

Mondal created a chance for himself a couple of minutes later but his cross-come-shot rolled just wide.

After 69 minutes the deadlock was finally broken. A small period of pressure from Rovers saw the ball scrambled around in the Port Vale area before it found its way to Brown 15 yards out. He made no mistake with his first time strike to score his third goal in as many games and take his total up to nine in the league this season.

With just under ten minutes to go Port Vale thought they should have had an equaliser when a cross was put into the back of the net but the whistle had already blown for a foul on Brown.

Welshmen Williams and Doidge linked up in stoppage time to try and add to the lead but Doidge’s effort was parried by Brown in goal for Vale.

The second did eventually come when Brown lead his own counter-attack in the final seconds of stoppage time. He kept his composure to skilfully lift the ball over his name-sake to take his league tally into double figures.

Port Vale XI: Brown, Montano, Joyce, Legge, Worrall, Oyeleke, Miller, Crookes, Smith, Conlon (Hannant 71’) , Clark

Unused subs: Kay, Hornby, Rawlinson, Harris, Whitfield, Howkins

Forest Green Rovers XI: Ward, Shephard, James (Mondal 53’), Rawson, Winchester, Doidge, Brown, Gunning, McGinley, Digby, Reid (Williams 53’)

Unused subs: Montgomery, Grubb, Pearce, McCoulsky, Godwin-Malife

Attendance: 4429 (179 away)

Referee: Paul Marsden

Man of the Match: Reece Brown