Jamaican Matt opens account, Wells doubles tally

LONDON, England (CMC) — Jamaican striker Jamille Matt opened his account for Forest Green Rovers at the fourth attempt yesterday, but the West Country outfit had to settle for a share of the spoils in a pulsating 1-1 English League Two match.

Matt, 30, hauled the home side level on 61 minutes with a cool close-range finish after Caiolan Lavery had given Walsall a 14th-minute lead.

Matt, who joined Forest Green this season from rivals Newport County, the league leaders, had earlier scuffed a shot wide with only goalkeeper Liam Roberts to beat.

Matt also had a penalty appeal turned down when he fell in the box under a challenge from Hayden White and was denied a second with 15 minutes to go when Roberts, who was in inspired form, scooped the ball off the line.

Forest Green had 10 shots on target to their opponents’ one but a third successive draw after a 1-0 win at Bolton Wanderers on opening day has left Mark Cooper’s side in 10th place.

Meanwhile, Bermudian striker Nahki Wells, 30, doubled his tally for the season with an early goal as Championship leaders Bristol City won their fourth game in a row with a 2-1 victory at Nottingham Forest.

Andreas Weimann put City ahead on 12 minutes before Wells’ half-volley doubled their lead in the 22nd minute.

Luke Freeman pulled a goal back in the 35th minute.

Bristol City Head Coach Dean Holden said: “We got two very good goals again, then we switched off a little bit and the momentum of the game changed. At 2-1 we knew what they would throw at us in the second half so we had to stand up to it and we did, to be fair.

Wells made nine appearances in the Premier League for Burnley in the 2017-18 season.