FLU -stricken Forest Green were left as sick as the proverbial parrot as 10- man Grays put a serious dent in the Gloucestershire side's play-off aspirations with a 2-1 victory today.

Luis Cumbers (45) and Ben Watson (82) saw Justin Edinburgh's side end Rovers' three-month unbeaten home record at a rain sodden New Lawn.

Twenty -four hours earlier Rovers had pleaded to have the game postponed due to a sickness bug that had swept through the squad, but their plea was rebuffed. Not even a late pitch inspection could save the poorly squad.

advertisementEarlier, Harvey's side began brightly enough in a turgid opening 20 minutes.

Stuart Fleetwood and Mark Beesley almost nosed Rovers ahead on 32 minutes. Michael Brough's ball over the top released the much admired striker but Grays keeper Ross Flitney did well to block, and as the ball broke, Mark Beesley was hindered by the bog-like conditions inside the box. Nonetheless, Flitney was lucky to remain on the pitch when Beesley was blatantly body-checked just outside the box following neat interplay from Adriano Rigoglioso and Fleetwood. Flitney saw yellow and from the resultant free-kick, Fleetwood fizzed over.

However, on the cusp of the interval Grays nosed ahead. Ryan Robinson's sloppy free-kick allowed Cumbers to nip in and strike. Paul Stonehouse came close to parity with a stinging drive in stoppage time and moments later a crude challenge on Stonehouse saw Grays' Simon Downer booked. Worse was to follow when Downer received his marching orders six minutes after the break after the referee deemed he had taken too much time to leave the pitch. Grays were certainly not knocked out of their stride and immediately went close to a second with Cumbers striking the base of Robinson's post. However, Rovers rallied with Rigoglioso forcing Flitney to touch onto the bar from 30- yards. Rovers drew parity on 62 minutes. John Hardiker's slide-rule pass released Simon Clist who finished with aplomb from just inside the box. Rigoglioso was already celebrating on 67 minutes. His splendid curling strike looked on its way in but to his dismay it cannoned off the post. However, Watson poached the points for Grays eight minutes from time Forest Green: Robinson, Jones, Hardiker, Preece, Stonehouse (Dodgson 76), Rigoglioso (Afful 77), Brough, Pitman (Smith 73), Clist, Fleetwood, Beesley.

Subs Not Used: Burton, Bertram.

Booked: Brough.

Goals: Clist 62.

Grays Athletic: Flitney, Downer, Ashton, Stuart, Gaia, Watson, Murray, Power (Day 81), O'Connor (Cooksey 55), Cumbers, Standing (Obersteller 66).

Subs Not Used: Gibbons, Hearn.

Sent Off: Downer (51).

Booked: Flitney, Downer, Power.

Goals: Cumbers 45, Watson 82.

Att: 975 Ref: D Coote (Newark).