Willand Rovers 2 Paulton Rovers 1: Joint managers John Durbin and Craig Loxton were without club skipper Neil Martin, versatile Dan Dempsey, full back Nuno Felix and Bristol City loaned Brandon Back.

Loxton played himself with Mike Ilea and Nick Hewlett returning after injury. Martin Lenihan who has been out for over three months made the bench along with youth team players Josh Cload and Jack Jenkin.

Both sides looked determined to play flowing football on a heavy fast cutting up pitch. Ed Butcher teased home keeper George Burton and in response Jack Rice-Letgerby fired over and Ryan Guppy tested Arron Sainsbury.

Willand took a fifteenth minute lead as Paulton failed to clear a corner and the on running Ashton Hewitt thumped home an stoppable shot from the edge of the penalty area.

Jack Dancey made a superb last ditch tackle as Douggie Camilo looked certain to add to the home sides tally.

On the restart Willand had a series of corners and on forty-eight minutes they got a second as the ball fell to Guppy to turned and shot home from close range.

Shortly afterwards Loxton replaced himself with Lenihan and he began a revival along with Butcher on the other wing. Lenihan cut inside and on sixty-one minutes Lenihan hit a fierce volley which rattled the crossbar with Burton beaten.

Paulton made further changes with 17-year-old Cload and Jenkin coming on for their first team debuts and both did not look out of place. The visitors were unlucky on seventy-one minutes as captain for the night Dave O'Hare like Lenihan drove a great shot again against that pesky crossbar with the ball bouncing clear.

A consolation came on seventy-five minutes a Butcher racing down the right had his legs taken from under him by Bailey Kempster. O'Hare took responsibility and drove home the penalty sending Burton the wrong way.

Paulton piled on the pressure but to no availed as the Willand defence held out for a win.

Paulton travel to Larkhall Athletic on Saturday, 18th March, kick-off at 3pm then on Tuesday, 21st March a trip to Bridgwater United in the Semi-Final of the Somerset Premier Cup, kick-off at 7.45pm.

Tony Walsh