Forest Green Rovers fell to a 4-0 defeat at The New Lawn to Stoke City U21s in the National League Cup on Tuesday.

It wasn’t the dream start for Rovers as they found themselves behind and reduced to 10-men inside five minutes when Will Merrett was sent off before Emre Tezgel scored the resulting penalty.

Shortly after, Fiachra Pagel was forced into a brilliant low save to deny a bending Tezgel effort from just inside the area.

Stoke doubled their lead on 17 minutes when Tezgel curled a low effort, from an angle, into the far corner.

Rovers first chance came on 26 minutes when Teddy Jenks fed an inch-perfect pass through to Christian Doidge who slid his effort just past the far post.

But Stoke made it three on 39 minutes as Tezgel completed his hat-trick bringing down a long ball before dinking over an onrushing Pagel.

Tezgel grabbed a fourth of the evening shortly after the break with a bullet header from close range following a dangerous cross from Darius Lipsiuc.

Rovers’ best chance of the second period came through Jesse Aldridge when his looping header was well dealt with by Alfie Brooks in the Stoke goal.

Rovers are back in action on Saturday as we look to get back to winning ways in the league when we travel to Maidenhead United for our National League clash.

Starting XI- Pagel (GK), Lavinier, Inniss, Merrett, Petrynski, Hughes (Aldridge 53’), Walsh (Raut 70’), Jenks (Bonnick 45’), Omotoye, Cardwell (Conteh 45’), Doidge (Wilson 45’)

Unused subs- Godfrey (GK), Glover

Player of the Match- Stephen Walsh