Evesham United 1 Paulton Rovers 4

Paulton played exceptionally well at Evesham United with a complete team performance and a hat trick from left winger and man of the match Ed Butcher.

Evesham opened brightly with Brandon Smalley and Brad Gray firing over the bar in the swirling wind conditions.

On six minutes Will Harvey crossed from the right, striker Jack Ball dummied and Butcher drove wide.

Rovers took a seventeenth minute lead as Butcher latched onto a long ball from Barney Soady to fire passed Evesham keeper Lewis Clayton.

Evesham left winger Toumani Sidibe was proving dangerous with his speedy runs but his end product lacked finish.

In the thirty second minute Butcher tried to clip the ball over Clayton and three minutes later James Byrne crossed from the right and Butcher made a sweet connection only to see his volley hit the post.

With the home side wasting their few chances it was Paulton who made it 2-0 on the stroke of half time. Dave O’Hare play a lovely ball which Butcher controlled chipped over his marker to race on and shot past a helpless Clayton.

On the restart Rovers keeper Aaron Sainsbury was alert to snuff out danger. His side should have added to their tally as Butcher’s low cross from the left found Harvey with his goal at his mercy, he somehow blasted over on 56 minutes.

It was three in the sixty fifth minute as O’Hare laid the ball to Butcher who superbly curled the ball past Clayton and into the net.

Paulton completed the rout on eighty five minutes after neat build up play the ever lively Lee Ibrahim laid the ball into the path of centre half Neil Martin who hit a sublime shot that whizzed passed Clayton to make it four.

Two minutes later a clumsy tackle by Dan Dempsey gave Gray the chance to hit a consolation from the penalty spot, which he duly converted.

The game was excellently officiate by West Midlands based referee Stuart Kane and his assistants. Clear decisions, not fussy and let the game flow. Just one booking for an Evesham player for discent.

Paulton Rovers man of the match- Ed Butcher

Next Saturday 1st team home to Bideford AFC kick off 3-00 pm

Ladies Sunday all 2 pm kick-off.

1st team (A) Frome Town

Reserves (H) Banwell

Development Side (H) Burnham United Res

17-year-old Paulton Rovers defender Joe Paradise made his England Schools U18’s debut on Saturday in the 4-1 win over the RAF in Middlesex. Well done Joe.