United's superb home form continues to gather pace as goals from Yemi Odubade and the now obligatory James Constable strike sealed a win over Forest Green tonight.

It was a case of staying patient for United who struggled initially to find a way through  a Forest Green side who had just the one man up front, Les Affful. Indeed the diminutive Afful should have given the visitors the lead on nineteen minutes as he rounded Turley but then inexcusably plonked his shot against the outside edge of the post rather than into the gaping net. An Afful miss all round.

It took United 26 minutes to force Rovers keeper Burton into a first save, with Sappleton driving in a low shot from the edge of the box, but gradually the game was starting to flow United's way. Only a slight touch to a Murray free kick on 30 minutes took the ball off of Chris Willmott's head six yards from goal and a couple of crunching tackles from the two FGR full backs on Haldane and Nelthorpe may have hurt the wingers but were a good sign that United were moving through the gears.

Again a warning came their way on 43 minutes as Rovers centre half Preece nodded a corner wide of the mark when unmarked but half time was reached with few clear cut chances for either side having been reached.

That changed immediately after the restart as Haldane barrelled through and blasted a shot from fifteen yards which Burton somehow tipped over the bar. Another foul on Nelthorpe brought another booking on 48 as the winger's willingness to run at defenders continued to show, but with no breakthrough imminent Chris Wilder once again showed his readiness to shuffle the pack, bringing on Odubade and Eddie Hutchinson. It did the trick.

That move signalled a change of shape, with Murray slightly further forward, and within a minute had nearly proved a masterstroke as Murray raced on to a great flick from Nelthorpe but saw his low shot from ten yards almost miraculously flicked up and over the bar by the excellent Burton.

Murray floated a chipped effort over the bar on the hour, Chapman fizzed one over angle of bar and post  on 64 and United were playing decent football with just the goal missing. Twenty minutes to go though and that elusive goal came from a surprising source; the head of Odubade. Killock, strong and powerful throughout, sent in a long cross from the left which drifted over the Rovers defence and allowed Yemi to neatly backhead the ball up, over the despairing Burton, and neatly into the corner of the net.

Forest Green were going to have to change their luck as well as their shape to get back into the game, but three minutes later it was game over. Constable had barely had a sight at goal all night but when Odubade burst clear once again he made an intelligent run behind the flagging visitors defence and then gathered the pass and stabbed it past Burton as though there had never been any question where the ball should go. Goals in seven  home games on the trot, five games on the run, and a player absolutely full of confidence.

The rest of the game should have just  been about playing time out, but a rare lapse on 89 saw a short corner routine ruin an otherwise accomplished performance from the defence who allowed David Brown a free header to give Forest Green brief hope. It wouldn't be us without a late panic, would it?

Constable will once again get the headlines but this was a good team performance in which patience was definitely a virtue. From Turley right through the excellent Chapman, the incredibly hard working Burnell and the matchturning Odubade, every single player had played his part. One week ago United lost five points. Seven days later they are one point in credit.

Two tough games await at Crawley and Cambridge before United come home again against Lewes on Sunday 1st February  Do yourself a favour; be here.

Att: 3728

Away: 119

Report: Chris Williams

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