COUNTY’S youngsters battled heroically to win a game in which they trailed 3-1 with a quarter of an hour remaining.  Forest Green Rovers boasted a 25-match unbeaten run and with a trip to League One Cheltenham Town’s youth team for the winners in the first round, there was plenty of incentive for both teams at the immaculate New Lawn stadium in Nailsworth.

County teams have quite a record in visits to the Cotswold town with the first team having a return of 10 wins and just a solitary extra time defeat at the former Rovers venue, while the youth team won convincingly last time they were there.  Cheltenham youth team manager, a certain John Brough, was an interested spectator and County started the game in disappointing fashion.

Gary Colborne was penalised for a challenge just outside the penalty area and from the free-kick Jake Parrott gave Rovers an eighth-minute lead.

County appeared nervous at the back and Brough was probably discarding his notes on the visitors when Jack Webb was left free to score the second in the 17th minute.

But County gradually pieced their game together and Luke Prosser stabbed the ball home from close range to reduce the arrears on 25 minutes.

The Armitage-Prosser scoring machine was clicking into gear and it looked just a mater of time before the sides were level.

Home keeper Tom Pass fumbled a high cross and retrieved the ball as it was about to cross the line.

County were in relatively confident mood at the interval but they again found themselves two goals adrift after the useful looking Adam Mann headed in from a corner in the 54th minute.

The home side then appeared to tire and struggled to keep pace with County’s movement.  Scott Armitage had a shot deflected on to the crossbar before scrambling the ball over the line in the 75th minute.

There was no stopping County now and Colborne powered home a header from a corner with five minutes remaining before a neat build up ended with Prosser setting up his strike partner Armi-tage for a 90th minute winner.  County: Alex Harris, Tom Mouncher, Andrew Hughes (Ross Oakley 54), Ben Evans, Gary Colborne, Lewis Grant (Jamie Davies 66), Troy Greening, Ricky Manship, Scott Armitage, Luke Prosser, Josh Brown (Jamie Harries HT).  Subs not used: Luke Young, Declan Flanagan.