Forest Green Rovers produced an excellent performance to power passed Tranmere Rovers at The New Lawn.

FGR proved too hot to handle for Tranmere as first half goals from Reece Brown and Liam Shephard proved enough despite a late strike from Paul Mullin.

Tahvon Campbell then rounded off the night in style after 97 minutes.

Mark Cooper made five changes to the side that drew 1-1 with Cheltenham Town on Saturday, bringing in Reece Brown, Lloyd James, Gavin Gunning and Campbell. The Rovers boss also handed James Montgomery the first League start of his career.

Forest Green started exceptionally well and inside 15 minutes they had the lead.

From a Tranmere corner the ball was half cleared to Tahvon Campbell whose flicked header found Reece Brown deep inside his own half with 11 minutes on the clock. Now with the ball at his feet the young midfielder only had one thought in his mind and, driving forward the Tranmere defence opened up, allowing him to power forward and slot past Scott Davies from the edge of the area with aplomb.

With a quarter of an hour played the visitors had a great chance to equalise as former-FGR man James Norwood raced through on goal but an impressive sliding tackle from Farrend Rawson blocked Norwood’s shot and James Montgomery was able to gather.

The next in line to try his luck at goal was Dale Grubb as, with 20 minutes on the scoreboard, a free-kick was set up nicely for him and although he had the beating of Davies in goal his effort crashed off the bar.

In what was turning out to be a very exciting game, Norwood had yet another chance as he raced down the left but once again he was denied, this time by a neat save from Montgomery.

Forest Green ended the half as well as they had begun it and six minutes before the break Brown’s unbelievable diagonal through-ball set Campbell and Steve McNulty into a foot-race in which there would only be one winner.

As the Forest Green forward nipped in front of the big centre-back the latter lunged into a clumsy challenge bringing Campbell crashing to the floor inside the area, the referee pointed to the spot.

Captain Gunning stepped up with a chance to double FGR’s lead and although Davies was able to save his spot kick, Shephard calmly finished the rebound on an angle.

The final chance of the half came as a result of a Forest Green corner as Rawson tried to capitalise on a Joseph Mills corner but on the stretch, poked his effort wide from close range.

Campbell, still in search of his first league goal of the season, looked hungry to find it and, having been played in down the right he let fly from an angle but couldn’t beat Davies.

Minutes later Tranmere’s best chance of the game so far fell the way of Jay Harris as he played a one-two before trying to slot past Montgomery, but the FGR keeper pulled off an excellent save.

Forest Green finished the game as strongly as they had performed throughout the encounter, but it was Tranmere who found the net inside the last five minutes.

Substitute Mullin was played down the left before firing passed Montgomery was unlucky to see his attempted save roll into the bottom corner.

Forest Green looked to round the night off in style with a late break towards the Tranmere goal but Campbell's ball was mistimed and the chance broke down.

Seven minutes into the originally shown six added minutes, Campbell picked the ball up on the left before darting inside and firing into the top corner with his weak foot.

Man of the Match: Tahvon Campbell

Attendance: 2,181 (465 away)

Referee: Antony Coggins

Forest Green Rovers XI: Montgomery, Shephard, James, Rawson, Winchester, Grubb, Brown, Campbell, Gunning, Digby, Mills

On the bench: Sanchez, Collins, Williams, Pearce (Grubb 86'), Archibald, McGinley (Brown 90'), Worthington (Winchester 78’)

Tranmere Rovers XI: Davies, Sutton, McNulty, Monthe, Harris, Norwood, Jennings, McCullough, Caprice, Smith, Gilmour

On the bench: George, Tollitt (Gilmour 80’), Mullin (Jennings 66’), Ellis, Mottley-Henry, Williams, Cole (Smith 54’)