Stevenage Boro 4 Forest Green Rovers 1 MARCUS CRAWLEY reports from Broadhall Way The brilliance of George Boyd illuminated this comfortable route into the FA Cup first round for Boro. Boyd opened the scoring and was instrumental in most of the other good

Stevenage Boro 4

Forest Green Rovers 1

MARCUS CRAWLEY reports from

Broadhall Way

The brilliance of George Boyd illuminated this comfortable route into the FA Cup first round for Boro.

Boyd opened the scoring and was instrumental in most of the other good things on the day as Forest Green never threatened an upset.

Two more goals from ace poacher Steve Morison and a tremendous strike from Adam Miller capped a great afternoon for Mark Stimson's side.

Boro old boy Michael Brough had promised a difficult time for his former side but it never materialised.

With Dale Binns making his full debut and the return of Miller in central midfield, Boro looked a fairly potent force especially after the break.

Despite some silky early touches by Boyd, it was another flat opening to the game to match the league defeat by Northwich seven days earlier.

A great saving tackle by left-back Matt Robinson on Jon Nurse when he was about to pull the trigger was the closest Boro came to Ryan Harrison's goal.

The tie then burst to life as Boyd came to prominence.

He skipped past two defenders and forced a good save by Harrison. John Nutter returned the ball and Morison's header was pawed away at full stretch by the keeper.

Forest Green also featured another Boro discard in Danny Williams and he tried his luck from distance without success before the home side grabbed the initiative on 36 minutes.

Morison controlled a poor headed clearance on his chest and cleverly played in Boyd. There was only going to be one outcome and the ball nestled in the corner of the net.

It could have been two soon after as Nurse sped in from his wing and Harrison did well to gather his shot.

A Brough shot which drifted well wide in added time was Forest Green's lone response in the half.

The fireworks began in earnest after the break.

Boro added a decisive second goal four minutes in when a high looping Nurse cross fortuitously fell to Morison. The striker slammed it in off the underside of the bar and then the unfortunate keeper Harrison.

The pressure mounted and a fine break almost saw a third as Binns released Boyd and his shot was just pushed wide. Then a Morison lob landed in the side netting.

It was just after the hour mark when Boro scored a third and effectively killed off the tie.

Miller was involved in the move which he himself eventually finished off. Nurse looked to have wasted the initial opportunity but Miller picked up the ball on the corner of the box and fired in an unstoppable shot.

Fortune favoured Forest Green keeper Harrison when Boyd's shot slipped his fingers but the post came to his rescue.

It was in fact the visitors who grabbed the next goal and it had a strong element of good fortune.

Hasim Deen, who had been on the pitch for just a couple of minutes, chased a long ball along with Forest Green sub Charlie Griffin.

Both players went tumbling and referee Scott harshly adjudged it was a penalty which Kevin Nicholson safely tucked away.

A measure of Boro's dominance can be shown in the fact that this was Forest Green's only shot on target of the whole tie.

Boro restored their three-goal lead six minutes from the end.

Morison took advantage of another slightly fortunate ricochet to run on and beat the keeper with ease.

There was still time for Stimson to give Craig Dobson and the EFCO product Tyron Sealey a run.

Dobson twice threatened in his brief time on the pitch while Deen tried to make amends for the penalty incident with a header that was well saved.

A trip to League Two Wrexham now awaits the Boro.

MATCH FACTS

BORO v Forest Green Rovers

21......................Goal attempts......................4

12......................Shots on target......................1

8......................Shots off target......................3

1......................Hit woodwork......................0

4......................Offsides......................2

14......................Free-kicks......................12

9......................Corners......................1

TEAM: Julian 7, Fuller 8 (Deen 77m), Nutter 7, Gaia 7, Nurse 8 (Sealey 90m), Miller 8, Boyd 9*, Morison 8, Binns 7 (Dobson 86m), Henry 7, Beard 8.

SubS not used: Oliver, Potter.

BOOKED: Beard 65m.

ATT: 1,140.

REF: Mr G Scott.

# Subs must play at least 20 minutes to earn a player rating.