PAULTON ROVERS 3 SHOLING 4
In the first minute, Ben Bament slipped the ball to debutant, Jake Jackson, whose shot hit the side netting. Then Lee Wort’s shot was turned for a corner by a diving save from Rovers’ Keeper, Aaron Sainsbury, who then saved from Ryan Mason.
Paulton took the lead in the tenth minute as Ed Butcher’s cross from the left was thumped home by Braeden Symes.
The Boatmen pressed as Nuno Felix blocked Dan Mason’s drive and Stuart Green’s cross was turned for a corner by Joe Hillard.
Rovers made it 2–0 on 28 minutes in bizarre fashion as
Sholing Keeper, Ryan Gosney, was robbed by Bament, who turned and lobbed the ball over Gosney’s head and into the net.
Two minutes later, as Jake Hoole’s cross from the left was headed out of Sainsbury’s reach, Wort nodded into an empty net.
Jackson found Sims-Burgess, whose shot was saved by Gosney with his feet. In the dying minutes, Hoole brought a fine save from Sainsbury. However, on the stroke of half-time, Sholing levelled from a corner as Owen Roundell headed into the net through a swathe of players.
Paulton got a flying start scoring on the restart as Gosney’s kick out to Sims-Burgess, found Bament, who turned and chipped over the despairing keeper and into an empty net.
Rovers Skipper, Charlie Hitchings, stopped a Dan Mason shot off the line as Green pressed, although a weak effort was held by Sainsbury.
A long ball from substitute, James Lauder, on 74 minutes was latched onto by Dan Mason, who turned the ball past Sainsbury to equalise. Four minutes later, Sholing scored again as Green’s corner from the left was headed home by Byron Mason.
Paulton threw everything to level in the final five minutes as Butcher, Bament and Jackson all tested Gosney.
Tony Walsh