NAILSWORTH, England (April 3, 2026) (Interstat) — Forest Green Rovers opened its National League season with a commanding 4-0 victory over Brackley Town on Friday at The Bolt New Lawn, far exceeding a pregame projection of a draw.

The home side took control just before halftime when D’Mani Bughail-Mellor scored in the fifth minute of first-half stoppage time. The match tilted further when Brackley Town’s Zak Brown received a red card moments before that goal.

Forest Green Rovers dominated the second half with Kyle McAllister and Jili Buyabu scoring two minutes apart. Defender Laurent Mendy added a late goal. Substitute Gareth Dean recorded an assist. Brown and Dean also received yellow cards for Brackley Town.

The result gave Forest Green Rovers a winning start while Brackley Town began its campaign with a loss.