New Lawn Saturday, March 19th, 2011   Conference Attendance: 1,362         Forest Green Rovers 0-0 Newport County
2010 /11

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BITTNER ON HAND FOR ROVERS AGAIN FOREST GREEN ROVERS 0 – 0 NEWPORT COUNTY Supplied by www.thisisgloucestershire.co.uk HARD graft alone will never be enough to overcome the perils of a relegation scrap, and Forest Green desperately need a spark from somewhere. A disjointed affair at the New Lawn probably ended in a fair scoreline, although the Exiles came closest to snatching all three points. Of course Rovers' need was much the greater, and they now find themselves back below the safety line with only seven Blue Square Bet Premier games remaining. Gavin Caines, captaining the hosts in the absence of injured Luke Jones, produced an important block to deny Sam Foley in the 10th minute. Four minutes later there should have been a goal at the other end. Kieron Forbes dispossessed Wayne Hatswell and crossed for Steve Guinan, who saw his first shot blocked by Chris Todd and somehow prodded wide from the rebound. Hatswell has history of scoring spectacular goals against his former club, and he tested James Bittner's handling with a free-kick from all of 35 yards but failed to generate sufficient power. Moments later the County left-back was at it again, connecting sweetly with a volley from the edge of the area that dipped just over. The remainder of the first half was desperately scrappy, but Newport threatened again in the third minute of stoppage time when Kerry Morgan sent a 25-yarder whistling narrowly past Bittner's near post. Rovers needed to rouse themselves, Reece Styche doing his best shortly after the restart when he cleverly jinked into the area from the left, but his shot was wildly wayward. The visitors came far closer on 55 minutes when Danny Rose's cross was nodded down by Foley for Yemi Odubade, and his sharp shot on the turn was brilliantly saved by Bittner. Forest Green's keeper has earned plenty of points for them this season, and he excelled again with a flying one-handed effort that denied substitute Charlie Griffin a headed goal on his old stamping ground. Six minutes later Glyn Thompson made his first meaningful stop, an outstretched boot foiling Guinan after a swift counter-attack. Thompson had a slice of luck when his weak clearance went straight to Guinan, giving the veteran striker an open goal to aim at from 30 yards, but a tame attempt gave the Newport custodian time to recover. Rovers were then fortunate themselves when Griffin found himself clean through, only to lift the ball over the onrushing Bittner and the crossbar. Griffin very nearly made amends right at the death, stretching to meet Rose's free-kick and seeing a flicked header strike the far post. Forest Green: J. Bittner: D. Hall, G. Caines, C. Armstrong, C. Stokes: K. Forbes (S. Davies 90), W. Turk, M. Somner, R. Dyer: S. Guinan, R. Styche: Subs not used: C. Henry, J. Else, C. Allen, B. Gray. Newport County: G. Thompson: P. Bignot, G. Warren, C. Todd, W. Hatswell: S. Foley (C. Griffin 57), D. Rose, S. Rogers, J. Collins, K. Morgan (D. Knights 74): Y. Odubade (R. Matthews 66): Subs not used: S. Lennon, G. Garner. Referee: L. Collins (Surrey) Attendance: 1,362 Star man: James Bittner – Thoroughly assured and acrobatic when required. Rovers would be doomed already without him