Forest Green Rovers 2-2 Bristol Rovers
Pre-season, The New Lawn Stadium, Tuesday 21 July 2026, 7pm KO
Bristol Rovers came from behind to earn a 2-2 draw against Forest Green Rovers as Tommy Leigh’s late brace cancelled out D’Mani Mellor and James Berry’s first-half efforts.
The hosts dominated the opening 45 minutes of the contest, with Mellor breaking the deadlock with a flicked header before Berry doubled the Green Devils' advantage with a clinical finish.
With two fresh squads later in the second half, the Gas gained control, with Leigh at the heart of the action. The man on loan from Bradford City slotted in to get Rovers' first goal before smashing the post with a clever strike moments later.
As the Pirates kept pushing, Leigh levelled in style, whipping a first-time shot from outside of the box into the top right corner to see Steve Evans' men come away with a draw.
The hosts played with plenty of confidence and looked sharp in the first half, with Kyle McAllister pulling all of the strings. He had their first opportunity, blasting a shot from the edge of the area wide of the left post.
Forest Green then gained the lead from a set-piece. Mellor lost his marker from a corner, and cleverly flicked a header across the goal and in off the post. They almost scored again soon after, with Luke Southwood getting down to his right to save Sean Etaluku's effort.
McAllister, Forest Green's creator at the heart of the midfield, was at the core of his team's second goal. The 27-year-old lifted a clever ball over the top of the Pirates' defence and through to Berry, who finished with composure.
Southwood then denied Etaluku again before Rovers had their best chance of the first half. Promise Omochere's close-range strike was saved before Alfie Kilgour sent the rebound over the crossbar.
Opportunities were few and far between in the second half until Rovers changed their entire side, with the likes of Shaq Forde and Leigh constantly looking to get on the ball.
The momentum almost immediately switched in the Gas' favour. Joe Quigley got down the right and put a low cross into the middle of the box, with the ball pushed into Leigh's path. The Bradford City loanee did well to keep possession under pressure before directing his low shot into the back of the net.
He almost scored a spectacular leveller soon after. The Pirates were getting plenty of luck down the right, with Forde's cross cleared as far as Leigh, who took one touch before blasting an attempt towards goal that rattled the post.
Fabrizio Cavegn blasted a shot wide, and Quigley saw his header saved before the Pirates levelled. Quigley played the ball towards Leigh on the edge of the box, with the midfielder whipping his first-time strike into the top right corner, helping Rovers to a draw.
Forest Green Rovers: McNicholas, Agina (Kircough 58), Obi (Pemberton 58), Ajayi (Merrett 58), Kengni (Robson 58), Campbell (Bonnick 58), Ewing (Mitchell 58), McAllister (Walsh 58), Etaluku (Conteh 56), Berry (Haughton 58), Mellor (Clarke 58)
Subs not used: Pagel
Goals: Mellor, Berry
Bristol Rovers: Southwood(Young 69), James (Balmer 69), Kilgour © (Mola 69), Kamwa (Forde 69), Aitchison (Quigley 69), Kelly (Purrington 69), Harrison (Howley 45), Omochere (Southam-Hales 69), De Havilland (Leigh 69), McEachran (Harbottle 69), Moore (Cavegn 69)
Goals: Leigh (x2)
Attendance: 1144 (382 away)
Paul Raynor: That goal to equalise in the last minute was pure quality!
In a game of two halves, where Mellor headed home the first for the hosts and Berry provided the second in the opening 45 minutes, it was Leigh’s later finishes that impressed Assistant Manager Paul Raynor…
“Two periods. One really disappointing period, where we could have conceded more goals to be fair. We were way off the mark, way off where we want to be, and the last period where we came onto a good game. We dominated, we played with energy, we played with purpose, we created opportunities, we ran hard, we did what we could without the ball. So, chalk and cheese really.
“They know what we want. As I say, it was the boys from last season, Macauley wasn’t, he was in and around the place, but he came forward, he got forward, he was a real threat as well, Tommy Leigh comes up with things that Tommy Leigh does, you know, absolute quality. There was more energy in the midfield, Richie with his tackles, keeping it simple, and Tommy to dictate the place. Shaq was picking up pieces, Quigley was that focal point, Fab is running in behind, I could go on and on and on. It was a Bristol Rovers performance, not for the first sixty minutes.
“Yeah. He does my head in. He absolutely does my head in. He turns up everywhere, but when he’s got that quality, who wouldn’t want him at Bristol Rovers? He’s a real talent. We’ve got him working really hard. I think Tommy would be the first to admit that he needs to be really disciplined in what he does. He’s certainly got so much quality. That goal to equalise in the last minute, it was pure quality.
“Absolutely. Let’s hope we hear it a lot more this season. The Rovers fans were incredible. Even to come for a pre-season game at Forest Green. I will say, let’s give some credit to Forest Green. They played some fantastic football; we didn’t really lay a glove on them in the first period in terms of intensity and getting about them and stopping them. But I thought they played some good football as well. Credit to Robbie and his staff.”
Tommy Leigh: As soon as it left my foot, I knew it was going to go in
After a difficult first half being 2-0 down to Forest Green, in the second half, Leigh proved to be the star to help Rovers to come from behind to earn the Gas a 2-2 draw.
After Mellor broke the deadlock early and Berry doubled the advantage afterwards, a change of personnel in the second half helped the Gas turn the momentum. Leigh scored from close range before a successful strike from range to level the score.
“The first half, not the best. Second half, much better. But they were decent in the first half to be fair, but obviously second half we come out and I think we battered them, really. But they had chances, could have put away, but I put mine away. It's a good little run out, but yeah, it's all about just getting minutes in the legs, really. I think coming from the game, you know what I mean? It's just literally working hard and getting ready for the start of the season.
"[Steve Evans and Paul Raynor] just want everything from a player. You give everything, you work hard, you get up and down and that's all they wanted. And the second half, I think we gave them it. First half, like I said, Forest Green, they did play well, first half, we’ll give them that. Obviously, we’ve got new lads in the team that were just getting used to their positions and that. What the gaffer and Raynor expects from their players. I think they see it in the second half in the last 20 minutes when you see the team that played last season and see what they need to bring to the team, really.
“Yeah, I think we had a couple of chances. I could have put the ball in the box a little bit better for Joe. I always look for the big man up top. But yeah, no, obviously it helps when you score a goal like that. Hopefully I can continue that. But yeah, no, as soon as I felt it left my foot, I knew it was going to go in, so yeah.
“I've heard [the chants] before, and I want to keep hearing it all the way through the season, so hopefully I can continue that and bring goals to my game. Like I did last season at the end of it, and I hopefully I can do it at the start of the season and at the end of the season and see where we are.
