St Albans City 3-2 Forest Green Rovers: Part-timers stun League Two leaders

Sixth-tier St Albans City stunned League Two leaders Forest Green Rovers by knocking them out of the FA Cup.

Matty Stevens put Rovers in front from close range, but goals from Mitchell Weiss and Zane Banton in the space of less than four minutes saw the part-timers take a shock first-half lead.

Rovers' Jordan Moore-Taylor hit the bar before Jack Aitchison levelled in first-half stoppage time.

But Saints impressed after the break as Shaun Jeffers got a deserved winner.

The striker fired into an unguarded net with 13 minutes to go after Weiss had taken advantage of a slip by Kane Wilson and slid in the non-league side's top scorer for his 18th goal of the season.

St Albans - who counted a postman, an engineer and a personal shopper among their part-time squad - came into the match on a 14-game unbeaten run that had sent them into second place in National League South and showed superb commitment against their high-flying full-time rivals.

Rovers - who made six changes from the side that drew 1-1 at Bradford City last week - had the better of the early first-half possession, but their non-league opponents could have taken a shock 13th-minute lead had Jeffers found the target from 12 yards with his second effort after his first shot was blocked.

The League Two leaders appeared to have found their stride as Stevens got his 10th goal of the season four minutes later as he met Nicky Cadden's cross at the near post before he missed two excellent chances soon after.

But St Albans sent most of the 4,000 capacity crowd at Clarence Park into raptures with two quickfire goals - first Weiss glanced a header in from John Goddard's whipped cross before the impressive Banton - a carpenter by day - coolly finished low under Luke McGee from 12 yards out.

Forest Green - League Two's joint-top scorers - again created chances as Michael Johnson tipped over Josh March's effort before Moore-Taylor hit the cross bar with a 34th-minute header from a corner before the former Exeter City and Milton Keynes Dons centre-back fired a shot just wide of the far post.

Rovers finally broke the hosts' resistance when Aitchison arrowed home on the angle from inside the box after a lovely pass from Ebou Adams to go in level at the break.

Saints - managed by former Arsenal and Colchester United player Ian Allinson - almost levelled six minutes after the break as Callum Adebiyi's effort from a corner was cleared off the line by Ebou Adams.

The part-timers worked hard to pressurise and frustrate their full-time opponents as the second half went on and their second-half showing deservedly led them to victory.

They almost went in front when Goddard had an effort bravely blocked by Adams eight yards out before Jeffers struck with 13 minutes to go.

In the final few minutes Saints doggedly kept Rovers at bay as first Johnson saved well with his legs from Aitchison before a superb sliding block denied Aitchison and Johnson foiled March with on the follow-up.

St Albans City winning goalscorer Shaun Jeffers told BBC Sport:

"This is amazing, this is what dreams are made of.

"We had Forest Green at home and they're top of the league and flying.

"But we always knew we had a chance, we were unbeaten in 14, now 15 games and we're on a good run so we always felt confident."

St Albans City manager Ian Allinson told BBC Sport:

"I'm extremely proud. we had to ride our luck a little bit at times, they're a good side.

"But the boys didn't give in and you give Shaun half a chance he'll take it and he's managed to do that.

"Michael in goal's made a couple of really good saves, but I thought second half we were comfortable, I felt first half we rode our luck a little bit.

"But the boys have been outstanding, they've been like that all season and they deserved that today.

"It's fantastic for the city, it's something they've been waiting for for a long, long time.

"I'm just so pleased for the club, for the players and the supporters because it's a great day for them and they've not had days like this many times."

Forest Green Rovers head coach Rob Edwards told BBC Radio Gloucestershire:

"We really wanted to progress in this competition and I want to credit St Albans first and foremost, that's the right thing to do.

"They deserved it, it's their night tonight, the magic of the FA Cup and they've got what they deserved.

"We conceded some sloppy goals and we didn't put it in the back of the net at the other end when we had chances and that's the basic crux of it.

"But we are bitterly disappointed."