Paulton Rovers 4 Cinderford Town 0
Paulton travelled to the Forest of Dean to beat Cinderford Town in a fine all round team performance.
Right from the start Will Hailston set up Ed Butcher who fired a shot across then he saw home keeper Ellis Parker fist over another attempt.
On five minutes from the corner on the left taken by Dave O’Hare, Mike Ilea headed back across goal for right back Nick Hewlett to drive home.
Rovers were good value for their lead and pressed through centre forward Joe Morgan who was well supported by Butcher and Hailston.
Paulton’s young right winger Dan McBeam was a constant thorn in the Foresters sides. Whilst O’Hare had a free kick blocked by Parker.
Rovers defence were rarely troubled with keeper Aaron Sainsbury having to keep himself warm as his back line of Hewlett, Dan Restorick, Ilea and captain Neil Martin had plenty of time to add to the attacking force.
Cinderford had an early second half flurry as the vastly experienced Mick Symonds and Stuart Fleetwood produced little threat.
Indeed on fifty two minutes Paulton made it 2-0.McBeam operating on the left cut inside found Butcher whose initial shot spun for a right wing corner. Taken left footed by Butcher, Restorick bundled the ball into the net from a tight angle. In doing so he landed awkwardly injury his left ankle to the consternation of his team mates.
He had to be helped off the pitch to be replaced by Nuno Felix at left back returning after a long injury with Martin moving into the centre of defence in place of Restorick.
Dan Dempsey was having another consistently good performance i midfield linking up well with O’Hare, Butcher and McBeam who was just off target as he tried his luck , but on sixty six minutes Felix fed McBeam down the left who turned two defender to lay the ball to Hailston to hit a low shot past a despairing Parker.
Ten minutes later it was 4-0 as Hewlett sent McBeam down the right and his lovely cross was turned home by the on running Hailston. Hailston’s reward was to be applauded off to be replaced by youngster Leo Eglin.
Morgan worked tirelessly in a good old centre forward role and set up Butcher who drove narrowly wide.
Seventeen-year-old Charlie McLachlan came on for Butcher and was soon in the thick of it,feeding the ever willing Morgan.
A great team performance which sees Paulton rise to eighth place just outside the play off places, witnessed by around forty travelling supporters.