Forest Green grateful for Stonehouse stunner as they snatch a point

Forest Green Rovers 1 Eastbourne Borough 1: Plenty have questioned whether this Forest Green side possesses the character to pull clear of relegation trouble, but such questions might be uttered more quietly after this late salvage operation.

Captain Paul Stonehouse was the toast of the New Lawn for his 79th-minute strike, a genuine Halloween screamer that spared Rovers from a fourth straight Blue Square Premier defeat.

Certainly there no more fitting scorer than the left-back, who had ignored the slumping shoulders of some of his colleagues and fought to ensure Matt Crabb's first-half goal was not decisive.

The first genuine threat on either goal came in the 20th minute, when Borough's Danny Brown saw a snap-shot deflected wide and the resulting corner produced an almighty scramble in the area.

Somehow the home side emerged unscathed, and Sean Rigg was millimetres away from getting a decisive touch at the other end when he raced clear of his marker and was blocked off by goalkeeper Danny Knowles.

Six minutes of the first half remained when Eastbourne went ahead. Liam Envers-Marum saw a firm shot beaten away by Terry Burton, but reacted well to retrieve the ball and pull it back for Crabb to stab into the net from close range.

Two minutes earlier Forest Green Dave Hockaday had been forced into a substitution, Steve Davies replacing the unwell Danny Powell on the right flank.

The lively Envers-Marum threatened again shortly after the break, getting too much height on a cross-shot.

There were ironic cheers from the home faithful on 65 minutes when new signing Craig Rocastle, making his debut in central midfield, finally produced his team's first shot in anger.

Sadly for him it flew harmlessly over, but Stonehouse connected far better an effort from 25 yards and at last Knowles was forced into a save in tipping around a post.

Suddenly there was urgency from Hockaday's men, and he must take his share of credit for the introduction of fit-again Tomi Ameobi from the bench as a physical threat up front.

Smith saw a drive parried by Knowles before Stonehouse summoned a moment of magic, curling the ball into the top corner of the Eastbourne net with his weaker right foot.