Forest Green Rovers’ trip to Solihull was a game of two halves — and two debuts that stole the headlines.
The first 45 saw a cautious, sometimes disjointed Rovers side struggle to impose themselves, despite the man advantage tilting the balance. Defensive lapses on both flanks allowed Solihull to deliver telling crosses, with the opener stemming from a failure to close down quickly enough and the second goal coming from a lapse in central possession. While no individual was wholly culpable, there were moments where defensive coordination and urgency were lacking.
The game turned sharply after the break. The introduction of Nick Haughton (9.1) brought immediate control, incision, and creative threat. His interplay, vision, and a trademark goal transformed FGR’s attacking rhythm. Christian Doidge (8.5) added the cutting edge, scoring within minutes of coming on and giving the Moors’ defence a focal point they couldn’t contain.
Elsewhere, Tom Knowles (7.8) continued his fine pre-season form, while Tre Pemberton (7.3) impressed on his professional debut despite being overrun on Solihull’s second goal. Laurent Mendy and Jayden Clarke showed flashes of influence but will want to cut out errors under pressure.
In short, FGR’s starting XI lacked tempo and ruthlessness, but the bench delivered both in abundance. Haughton’s debut was the standout — a performance that not only rescued the result but hinted at a genuine game-changer for the season ahead.
If the lesson from this match is clear, it’s that Forest Green have the quality to win games from the bench — but they can’t afford to wait 45 minutes to find their spark.
Forest Green fan Tom Carter hands out the ratings
Match Ratings
Luke McNicholas – 6.8
Naturally, with the game tilted in FGR’s favour due to the man advantage, Luke wasn’t called into action too often.
His distribution and handling were solid throughout, but he’ll be disappointed with both goals conceded – particularly the second.
Tre Pemberton – 7.3
Tre enjoyed a respectable professional debut, regularly troubling the Moors’ back line. He was always eager to take the ball and run at his man, proving a reliable outlet in attack.
He’ll be disappointed with Solihull’s second goal, though the replay shows four Moors players isolating him and Kanu. Its important to note the cross should never have been allowed in the first place. With that in mind, it’s hard to place too much blame on Tre.
Jordan Moore-Taylor – 7.1
Jordan was typically reliable, especially in the first half, where he produced some excellent sweeping diagonal passes.
The back line did drop deep at times, perhaps due to the game state, but we’ve come to expect a more commanding presence from JMT.
Abraham Kanu – 6.6
It was a tricky afternoon for the Reading loanee. While he looked largely assured on the ball, he was perhaps fortunate to avoid a caution for a first half challenge, following a poor touch.
Playing slightly out of position and making his FGR debut, it’s understandable that he’ll need a little time to build an understanding with JMT.
Neil Kengni – 6.4
My instinct suggests Kengni was struggling with the demands of the role as an out and out left back. He’d be much more suited within a 3-4-2-1, where he’d cover left wing back and have more license to roam.
He was partially at fault for the opener, though it would be harsh to pin too much blame on him. The real issue stemmed from Rovers’ right flank, where the cross wasn’t shut down quickly enough. At half-time, Robbie Savage made the right call, sacrificing Kengni for the more technically gifted Haughton.
Laurent Mendy – 7.2
Much of FGR’s play went through Laurent, who was always available to receive the ball over the 90 minutes. The pace of the game may have caught him off guard in the early stages, but he soon adapted, making several key interceptions.
He’ll be disappointed to have been caught in possession in the build-up to Solihull’s second goal. At this level, he won’t have the same time on the ball he enjoyed in Step 3 or during pre-season friendlies. The pace and pressure are higher, but it’s an adjustment he’s likely to make as he gains experience.
Issac Moore – 6.8
A fairly quiet game from the Coventry City loanee. He was unfortunate to be subbed at HT, to give way to a more offensive tactical approach.
Isaac will be pivotal for FGR throughout the season – he brings a calmness and stability that will be critical through the campaign.
Kyle McAllister – 6.5
By Kyle’s exceptionally high standards, this was one of his quieter games. He’ll be disappointed with the first goal – the priority has to be to stop the cross.
He was tidy in possession, but I felt he was slightly too cautious, we’ve come to expect Kyle to take the game to the opposition.
His actions in the second goal were a little too pedestrian for me, he failed to recognise the danger & pick up the second ball.
Jayden Clarke – 7.2
Jayden had a good game playing in the 10. Happy to take the ball & was unfortunate not to open his account for FGR.
In the more transitional games, you can expect Clarke to cause real issues for opposing backlines. He looks an exceptionally talented player for the level.
Yahya Bamba – 6.7
A tricky game for Bamba. His game is clearly suited to fast transitions, playing against a low block wasn’t ideal for him.
The appalling tackle early on must have had an impact on his confidence. We’ll likely see the best of Bamba as he settles into his rhythm, he has electric pace and an appetite to drive the team forward.
Kairo Mitchell – 6.8
Despite showing some tidy hold-up play, the ball never really sat kindly for Kairo. He battled well in the physical contests, working hard to win his share of 50/50s, but genuine chances in front of goal were few and far between.
His runs often dragged defenders out of position, yet the service into him was limited. With the introduction of Doidge after the break, Kairo seemed to settle. The pair’s understanding gave Rovers a more focal point in attack, allowing Kairo to find better pockets of space and link play with greater confidence.
Subs
Christian Doidge – 8.5
As Doidge has proven throughout his time at FGR, he is a natural born goal scorer. The offensive line immediately had more presence.
Christian’s movement is exceptional, many noted his sharpness last week against Derby. It took him less than 10 minutes to get his name on the score sheet.
Nick Haughton – 9.1
As debuts go, I’m not sure it gets much better.
His intricate passing ability was immediately notable, with some fine interplay around the box.
The more analytical eye would notice Solihull’s futile attempts to press Nick, which led to more room in behind for FGR to exploit.
Simply put, Nick ramped up the pressure on the Moors’ back line. He showcased his quality with some smart link-up play with Tre, culminating in an inch-perfect delivery for the opening goal.
The second goal speaks for itself. Ordinarily, you’d question whether it was a shot or cross, but we’ve seen this many times with Nick for Fylde. A fine debut.
Tom Knowles – 7.8
Toms fine pre-season form translated in his performance . His confidence is clearly growing, with every action looking to cause the Solihull backline stress.
It’ll be interesting to see how Savage deploys Tom, he’s more than capable of playing anywhere across the front line and is comfortable at full back.
Adam May
Solid and reliable from Adam. His introduction into the game was to provide some central stability.
He didn’t have too much to do, other than move the ball either side. His one attempt at goal was admittedly rushed.
Max Robson
Didn’t have too much time to make an impact, though the former Spurs’ man did have some moments of good link up play with Knowles down the left hand side.
