Forest Green Rovers go within a point of top spot heading into the FA Cup weekend with a 0-0 draw at home to high-flying Crewe Alexandra.

Both sides went into the game knowing that a win would lift them top of the pack, but neither were able to break down the other side, with the woodwork denying Crewe in the second half, while Matty Stevens had the best chance for the hosts.

There was one change to the side that beat Leyton Orient on Saturday, with Liam Kitching returning from suspension.

It sparked a change in formation, with the former Leeds man coming in at left-back as part of a back four, with both Liam Shephard and Joseph Mills playing wide in midfield.

It was that left flank that the visitors looked to test early on, Owen Dale winning a free-kick inside the first minute on the edge of the box, Harry Pickering’s ball in deflecting off the wall and past all waiting in the box.

It was a good start to the match from the home side after this who dominated the ball for the subsequent 15 minutes, with the home crowd responding in turn.

Dom Bernard showed his silky side with step over after step over to get to the edge of the Crewe box before playing in Stevens, his shot not caught cleanly as it scuffed wide of the near post.

Dale was continuing to get joy down their right flank, in the 19th minute, his ball across cleared behind for a corner which dropped worryingly in the box but Bernard was on hand to put in a good block.

The best chance of the game came in the 23rd minute for the side in mustard yellow, Dale intercepting a loose pass meant for Winchester before using his pace to take it past Matt Mills but Joe Wollacott, high in confidence from his recent stint in the number one jersey, was off his line superbly to slide in at the Crewe player's feet and take everything with him.

Two minutes later, and it was another loose pass that had Crewe on the edge of their seats as Chris Porter went for the chipped shot from outside the box, with Wollacott caught in no-man’s land, but he looked on agonisingly, like a punter watching his effort drift wide of the target.

The game, ebbed back in favour of the hosts in the final 15 minutes, Ebou Adams winning the ball back well in the middle of the park in the 27th minute, prodding it through to Jack Aitchison, but his shot from the edge of the box hooked wide of the far post.

The hosts’ golden chance came a minute later, Liam Shephard with a beautiful ball from the right. Matty Stevens connecting effortlessly with his diving header at the back post but it comes back off the back of Perry Ng, the Crewe skipper knowing little about it, but doing the job perfectly.

As the board went up for the additional minutes at the end of the first period, Shephard set Bernard darting into the box down the right, his shot for the near post turned behind for a corner, which Will Jaaskelainen came to claim with ease.

After a thoroughly entertaining first half of League Two football, it was a more mundane start to the second period, that was until the 55th minute when the sound of the woodwork rattling had everyone’s attention.

It was Crewe’s Ryan Wintle who connected sweetly with what appeared to be a cross initially from the right corner of the box, and as it curled away from Wollacott and inches in front of the head of Porter, whose touch would have rippled the net, the ball came back off the far post before Winchester turns behind for a corner that Rawson heads clear.

It was an immediate response for FGR, Kitching with a great delivery from the left and Stevens was inches away from connecting with it as he dove into the six-yard box.

In the 65th minute Adams put in a superb challenge in the middle of the pitch and got up to drive away with the ball to the edge of the box before getting a shot off but it was always rising over the bar.

The game began to get stagnated, with injuries and substitutions affecting the flow of the game as both managers looked for that key to unlock the opposition’s defence.

Shephard looked to unpick the lock in the87th minute, his ball to the front post bundled behind for a corner with Aaron Collins steaming into the front post.

At the other end, with a minute of normal time remaining, a ball in from the left was flicked goalwards by Dale, but it dropped wide of the far post and with it, the last chance in an entertaining match that lacked the final product.

Forest Green XI: Wollacott, Shephard, Bernard, M Mills (Mondal 71’), Rawson, Winchester, Stevens, Adams, Kitching, J Mills (c), Aitchison (Collins 82’)

Unused subs: Thomas, Morton, Dawson, McGinley, Taylor

Crewe XI: Jaaskelainen, Ng, Pickering, Wintle, Nolan, Porter, Kirk (Powell 80’), Green, Hunt (Mbula 76’), Lowery (Jones 85’), Dale

Unused subs: Richards, Ainley, Finney, Anene

Referee: Charles Breakspear

Attendance: 2,192 (216)

Man of the match: Ebou Adams

Match & ball sponsor: Grundon Recycle

Next time out: Carlisle United, FA Cup, The New Lawn, Saturday, November 30, 3pm