McDonald stars as Forest Green win in FA Trophy

Rarely comfortable with the mantle of favourites, Jim Harvey's Forest Green Rovers side will have to get used to it if they continue in this vein.

They barely needed to get out of third gear to progress to the FA Trophy second round – their fifth win in six matches in all competitions – yet this was no meaningless drubbing of inferior opponents.

Some of Hemel's attacking play was a credit to the BGB Premier Division, and Terry Burton needed to produce another astounding penalty save before half-time to prevent them gaining a foothold.

All the more reason for Harvey to be satisfied, for a month ago his morale-sapped players looked incapable of withstanding such pressures.

It was a memorable day for Curtis McDonald, who netted his first goals for the New Lawn club in the fifth minute and on the stroke of half-time.

Sandwiched in between were a 29th minute penalty from Andy Mangan and the heroics of Burton, while late strikes from Simon Clist and Lee Fowler sent Hemel home with their tails between their legs.

The visitors threatened first, Nathan Bowden-Haase's acrobatic scissor-kick bringing a superb save from Burton.

It was 1-0 two minutes later, as a sweeping move culminated in a low cross from the right by Jonathan Smith and the simplest of finishes for McDonald.

Forest Green then took charge and Simon Clist tested Tudors stopper Ian Brown with a 20-yard drive.

Mangan saw an angled shot flash across Brown's goal, and moments later the Scouse striker earned the chance to double his side's advantage when he was tripped by Hemel skipper Paul Edgeworth.

It was the cheekiest of spot-kicks by Rovers' top scorer, who noticed Brown move early and dinked the ball down the middle to take his tally to double figures.

Hemel were presented with a golden opportunity to liven up the tie when Chris Dillon had his legs taken by Darren Jones 12 yards out.

Drew Roberts' penalty was firmly struck, but Burton repeated his feat against Mansfield Town three weeks earlier as he parried the kick away and denied Dillon from the rebound.

Rovers promptly but the result beyond doubt with a scrappy goal. Clist got a glancing header to Mangan's cross, inducing Brown to push the ball up in the air, and McDonald was first to react to bundle across the line.

McDonald wasted a glorious chance to complete an unlikely hat-trick, screwing horribly wide from the middle of the area after good work on the left by substitute Conal Platt.

The Tudors were rewarded for staying positive in spectacular fashion 11 minutes from time, Anthony Thomas spanking past a bewildered Burton from 40 yards.

Classy finishes from Clist in the 81st minute and the excellent Fowler in the 86th ensured there was no nervous finish.