Barnstaple Town 3 Paulton Rovers 0
Devon club, Barnstaple, completed a league double over Rovers with a deserved 3–0 win over Paulton Rovers.
Rovers started the brighter, with plenty of creativity by Jay Malpas in midfield, and the Barum keeper had to be at his best to first deny Harvey at his near post and then did well to palm away a Mitch Tippins’ pile- driver in the fourteenth minute.
After a dominant opening fifteen minutes by Rovers, Barnstaple started to claw their way back into the game, and it took some heroic defending by Hillard and Tippins at the back to keep the scores level. On the 36th minute, Rovers had perhaps their best chance of the game when Sammy Jordan got through on goal, but again, keeper, Steve Oliver, was equal to it.
It was on the 42nd minute that the home side got the breakthrough when Forster punched clear a corner. It was Harper-Penman who was the first to react and turned the ball home to give Barnstaple the half-time lead.
In the second half, Rovers’ Manager, John Rendell, rang the changes, introducing Jack Ball at half-time and looking to find that same creative flair that saw his side beat Moneyfields last week. But this was a day where a well-organised Barnstaple side defied their position in the league table and kept Rovers’ chances to a minimum, and at the same time, looked dangerous on the counter with the useful Sol Wheatley at the heart of most things going forward.
With the game opening up in the last ten minutes, Forster had to be at his best not once, but twice, in the eightieth minute, making a great double save.
The killer blow for Rovers, however, came in the 84th minute when Wheatley pulled a cross back, only for the ball to cruelly bounce off Hitchings and into the net to make it 2–0. Then, on the 88th minute, it really was game over as Saddam Bello fired home to make it 3–0 and secure all three points for the home side.
A disappointing day for Rovers after excellent recent performances.
After The Journal had gone to press, Paulton’s First team were at Clevedon Town on Wednesday, 20th February in the Quarter-Final of the Somerset FA Cup. This Saturday they are back to Evostik Southern League action at home to Fleet Town, kick-off at 3 p.m.
Next Tuesday, they travel to AFC Totton, near Southampton, for a re-arranged league game, kick-off at 7.45 p.m. Supporters wishing to travel on the coach should add their names to the list in the clubhouse.
The Youth team, currently top of the Somerset Floodlit Youth Supplementary League, entertain Chard Town U18s at Winterfield Road, kick-off at 7.30 p.m.
Steven Longden and Tony Walsh