Farrend Rawson ensured Forest Green Rovers signed off for the year in winning style as he netted the last goal of the decade for the club to secure a 1-0 win over Macclesfield Town.

It came in the 75th minute as he connected with a Liam Shephard free-kick to flick the ball home at the near post and secure all three points in the process.

There were three changes to the starting XI for Mark Cooper’s side, with Rawson, who played 45 minutes off the bench against Stevenage starting, along with forwards Junior Mondal, making his first start since September, and Matty Stevens.

Skipper Joseph Mills was not included in the matchday squad with a leg injury, while there was a place on the bench for 16-year-old Vaughn Covil.

It took until the sixth minute for loanee Jack Aitchison to stretch his legs and cause the opposition trouble for the first time this afternoon, with a jinking run into the box down the right.

His ball in went over the heads of those in the middle, but was recycled and Carl Winchester played a neat one-two with the Scotsman on the edge of the box, only to be denied by an important tackle coming in from Macclesfield skipper Fiacre Kelleher.

Three minutes later and it was Mondal and Shephard this time exchanging a neat one-two on the edge of the Silkmen area, but the latter just couldn’t latch onto the return ball that would have seen him one-on-one with Macclesfield keeper Owen Evans.

In the 14th minute, a free-kick from just inside the FGR half was sent into the mixer and the header down caused a few issues but the ball bounced off the body of Shephard and safely into the arms of Adam Smith to the relief of all.

Macclesfield were beginning to ask their own questions and in the 18th minute, Joe Ironside got to the byline, his ball into the box hooked over his own bar by Aitchison, doing the defensive side of his job well.

There were deep inhales of breath in the 20th minute with Emmanuel Osadebe delivered a dangerous ball in from the left, but Arthur Gnahoua, leaping in like someone going for that last roast potato at the Christmas table, could not connect with his head.

It was the turn of the hosts to take back control of the remote, with Elliott Frear starting to get some joy down the left flank.

In the 21st minute, his ball in looked to find Ebou Adams on the edge of the area, but the midfield was not able to connect under pressure.

Frear was not deterred and delivered again a minute later, this time his effort prodded goalwards by Mondal.

Owen Evans wasn’t able to gather with Adams getting a touch and the loose ball spilt to Shephard and Aitchison, both seeing their efforts blocked by last-ditch Macclesfield bodies.

Much like the TV Times at Christmas, the game was desperate for a real highlight to talk about and Mondal nearly delivered the moment in the 36th minute.

He cut off the left flank and curled a stunner, destined for the far, top corner, only to see his effort matched by the agility of Owen Evans in the Macclesfield goal, tipping over his bar.

The resulting corner was sent to the back post, for Matt Mills to cushion the ball down to Aitchison running onto it, his half volley again blocked, this time by the diving body of Nathan Cameron as the visitors continued to frustrate the hosts.

With four minutes of the half remaining, Adams won a free-kick and a chance to test Evans from the edge of the box but Frear’s curling effort beat the wall and couldn’t drop into to sneak under the bar.

There was still time for Jay Harris to test Smith at the opposite end, his effort from the edge of the box in the 44th minute seeing the FGR keeper save, diving to his right.

Cooper made a change at the break, bringing on Liam Kitching for Matt Mills in a like-for-like swap at the back.

In the 56th minute Nathan McGinley delivered a great ball from the left, as FGR stepped up the pressure.

However, as Shephard came in looking to connect, Corey O'Keeffe was in the right place to deliver a fine sliding challenge and Macclesfield could clear.

Three minutes later and a free-kick from deep was delivered into the Macclesfield box, with Kitching getting his head to it, but Adams couldn't bring the ball under control in the six-yard box, at the back post and the chance somehow went begging.

The sustained pressure finally told in the 75th minute, much like the release of your belt once stepping away from the dinner table.

Shephard delivered an inch-perfect ball in from a free-kick he had won on the right, and Rawson was charging across his man at the front post and headed superbly home to the delight of the home faithful.

Like the tv re-runs, the chances started to become more frequent for the hosts now.

In the 81st minute only a superb save from Evans kept the visitors in the match. Aitchison showed some lovely footwork in the box before cutting back for Adams to run onto with his left.

However, the Silkmen stopper was down well and saved from point-blank range before the defence were able to hack clear.

Macclesfield pressed hard as the minutes ticked closer to the final whistle but Rawson’s header was coming in handy at the other end of the pitch as he met almost all the long balls sent forward with it as FGR were able to see the game out with their 16th clean sheet of the season in all competitions.

Forest Green XI: Smith, Shephard, M.Mills (Kitching 45’), Rawson, Winchester (c), Stevens (Collins 58’), Adams, Frear, McGinley, Mondal, Aitchison (Dawson 89’)

Unused subs: Thomas, Bernard, Morton, Covil

Macclesfield XI: Evans, Kelleher (c), Gnahoua, Harris, Ironside, Welch-Hayes, Kirby, Horsfall, O’Keeffe (Blyth 85’), Osadebe, Cameron (Fitzpatrick 81’)

Unused subs: Charles-Cook, McCourt, Stephens, Ntambwe

Referee: Alan Young

Attendance: 2,155 (130)

Man of the match: Farrend Rawson

Next time out: Exeter City, The New Lawn, Wednesday, January 1, 3pm