PILGRIMS BRING PROGRESS TO A HALT

ANTONI SARCEVIC left Forest Green with plenty to envy as he scored the goal that knocked the world’s greenest football club off the top of League Two.

The Plymouth midfielder hit a superb long-range strike to settle the battle of the Green Armies in the first meeting between these two clubs.

No one boasts greener credentials than owner Dale

Vince and his ecofriendly award winners, but the one thing they cannot match is the size of away support that made this like a home game f or

Argyle.

Once Sarcevic hit a wickedly swerving shot that flew past

Joe Wollacott in the

24th minute, the boisterous visiting Green Army drowned out the home brigade.

Forest Green had their chances in a frenetic finish, but the Pilgrims deserved their first away win since September.

Argyle boss Ryan Lowe said: “I will enjoy tonight, having come here and beat the league leaders 1-0 with a clean sheet, which is a huge three points.

“My players put their bodies on the line and some are bruised and battered, but it will taste nice when they have a glass of wine or a beer.

“We learnt from that 4- 0 defeat to Exeter, which was not nice when you get beaten by your local rivals. But we’ve come to Forest Green and given a dogged performance to win 1-0, which is really pleasing.”

Argyle keeper Alex Palmer was forced into saves to deny Liam Kitching and Matty Stevens, but Forest Green’s best opportunity fell to Jack Aitchison in the 66th minute.

Stevens teed up the midfielder with an inviting header, but Aitchison blasted over from 15 yards and, apart from a couple of last-ditch scrambles in added time, that was as near as the leaders came to avoiding their first home defeat since August.

Forest Green boss Ma r k Cooper claimed his side should have been given a couple of penalties and reckoned rookie referee Sam Purkiss should not have been awarded the fixture.

“We should have had a couple of penalties. One of them was stonewall,” said Cooper. “I had a concern when I found out who the referee was. It was such a big game. He’s in his first season in the league and has a record of booking a lot of players.”

But Cooper admitted his side’s display was sub- par, saying: “I feel frustrated. We had a lot of territory, but just didn’t have the quality we needed in the last third.”