Forest Green Rovers snatched all three points at the Utilita Energy Stadium as they beat Bradford City 1-0.

It needed added time at the end of the second half, but a 93rd minute Joseph Mills header was the difference on day.

Mark Cooper shuffled the pack after Tuesday’s defeat at Port Vale, making five changes to his starting XI.

Farrend Rawson made a return from injury while Kevin Dawson, Liam Kitching, Shawn McCoulsky and Dayle Grubb all claimed starting places, Rovers switching to a back four.

An early opportunity arose for Grubb to get down the right with four minutes on the clock, as he scampered onto Udoka Godwin-Malife’s through-ball before seeing a cross cut out with McCoulsky waiting eagerly in the middle.

A Bradford free-kick on 15 minutes could have spelled trouble, but Anthony O’Connor’s ball in flashed wide of the far post with no one to attack it.

Back in the side after a concussion against Walsall two weeks ago, Farrend Rawson did well to recover after 19 minutes as he tracked back quickly to deny Matt Palmer on the break.

A 23rd-minute Grubb free-kick presented Matt Mills with a chance to head the ball, but nobody was on hand to attack the defender’s knock-back in the area.

Rovers won the ball back in their final third with 26 minutes on the clock but McCoulsky couldn’t make room for a shot on the turn after Dawson squared the ball to him on the edge.

Joseph Mills free-kicks always present a danger, and his effort on 33 minutes was no different, curling and dropping onto the roof of the net from 25-yards with the goalkeeper scrambling.

Dawson tried to find the bottom corner from outside the area shortly before the 40-minute mark, but he lost traction on the greasy surface and fired wide along the floor.

Carl Winchester was called upon to make a fantastic sliding tackle a minute later as Jordan Gibson darted into the area from the left, the midfielder timing it to perfection to win a goal kick.

Deep into stoppage time at the end of the first half, Bantams stopper Richard O’Donnell had to be his toes to smother a piledriver from Joseph Mills as the skipper tried his luck from another free-kick.

The best chance of the first hour fell the way of Rovers as the ball dropped kindly for Grubb in the area but he couldn’t get it out of his feet to beat the keeper and the Bantams cleared.

Minutes before the hour mark, Matt Mills had a chance to open his Rovers account, but his header was well claimed by O’Donnell after Winchester’s excellent cross from the right.

Just after the hour mark, Grubb had another chance. Almost a copy of his first, the forward drove inside from the right and although he got his shot away, it was too tame to trouble O’Donnell.

It took two fantastic Wollacott saves to keep things level as he had to deny substitute Jamie Devitt and Clayton Donladson from close range within the space of 13 minutes before Matt Mills had to clear off the line to keep it level.

A late chance fell the way of Rovers as Joseph Mills' whipped free-kick was challenged for in the area, but the Bantams backline did brilliantly to steer the ball over their own bar.

That wasn't it though, with 93 minutes on the clock, Dawson's dinked cross was met by a powerful Joseph Mills header which flew past the keeper and into the net.

Rovers were reduced to 10 men with minutes to go as Matt Mills was given his marching orders for a second bookable offence.

Late drama at Bradford saw the hosts have the ball in the net following a corner, but Kevin Melor's close-range finished was ruled out by the offside flag with 100 minutes played.

Bradford XI: O’Donnel, Mellor, Richards-Everton, A.O’Connor, Donaldson, Vaughan (c), Palmer (Cooke 75’), Gibson (Scannell 66’), Akpam, Wood, Devine (46’ Devitt)

Unused subs: Hornby, P.O’Connor, Anderson, Patrick

Forest Green XI: Wollacott, M.Mills, Rawson, Winchester, Grubb, Adams, Dawson, Kitching (McGinley 68’), McCoulsky (Stevens 79'), Godwin-Malife (Bernard 54’), J.Mills (c)

Unused subs: Thomas, Collins, Morton, Mondal

Referee: Andy Haines

Attendance: 13,504

Man of the Match: Ebou Adams

Next up: AFC Bournemouth, 7.45pm, Wednesday, August 28, The Vitality Stadium