Forest Green Rovers were held at The New Lawn as Carlisle United came from a goal down to earn a point.

Reece Brown opened the scoring in emphatic fashion in the first half before Nathan Thomas capitalised on an error to level the scores up shortly after the break.

Mark Cooper made one change to the side as Udoka Godwin-Malife came in for the injured Lee Collins.

Having chosen to shoot with the wind in the first half, the Cumbrians started on the front foot and were the first to test either of the keepers, Lewis Ward having to make early saves to deny Thomas as well as Jamie Devitt.

It took 24 minutes for the first real scare to come for the Forest Green backline as a corner to the back post caught the wind before being headed back across goal and nodded onto the bar by Thomas. Liam Shephard and Ward were first to react to the loose ball, making the block.

Minutes later, the Rovers stopper was called into action again as he rushed out to meet Devitt and block his effort with an outstretched leg.

It was Rovers who would take the lead though, as Brown, the man running the show, drove through a gap in the Carlisle defence before firing a rocket into the top right-hand corner from 20 yards.

Carlisle made an attempt to hit straight back but Ward was once again equal to the effort as he denied Regan Slater from range.

With 38 minutes on the clock, Ward was forced into another save as Thomas raced through on goal, the keeper diving low to his right to stop the Carlisle man taking it round him.

Carlisle were back on terms just four minutes after the break as Thomas caught Nathan McGinley unawares on the edge of the area before racing through and slotting past Ward.

Thomas continued to cause trouble for the hosts as he forced Ward into another save just shy of the hour mark.

Rovers midfielder Carl Winchester had a good chance to put his side back in front after 62 minutes, but his touch was a little heavy as he latched onto Brown’s neat through ball, the chance escaping him.

As Carlisle continued to knock on the FGR door, Ward was forced into yet another exceptional save as he showed great reflexes to push away a deflected effort from a corner.

With 69 minutes on the clock, Joseph Mills had a pop from range but his well struck effort flew over.

Substitute George Williams had the final chance of the afternoon for Rovers as his 30-yard free-kick struck the post with Adam Collin beaten.

Carlisle also went close one final time before the game came to it's conclusion as the ball fell the way of Hallam Hope on the edge of the area and Farrend Rawson's excellent block was all that stood between him and the goal.

Carlisle United XI: Collin, Miller, Grainger, Gerrard, Parkes, Jones, Hope (Simpson 90'), Devitt (Scougall 81’), Slater, Thomas, O’Hare

Unused subs: Gray, Liddle, Kennedy, Grant, Branthwait

Forest Green Rovers XI: Ward, Shephard, Rawson, Winchester, Doidge, Brown, Gunning, McGinley, Godwin-Malife (Mondal 89'), Mills, Reid (Williams 69’)

Unused subs: Thomas, James, Grubb, Pearce, McCoulsky

Attendance: 2,381 (293 away)

Referee: Graham Salisbury

Man of the Match: Lewis Ward

Match Sponsor: FGR Supporters' Club