SHEPTON MALLET 0 PAULTON ROVERS 3
After early Paulton pressure, Shepton should have taken the lead when former Rovers old boys, Craig Loxton and James Billing combined, only for the latter to blast over a superb cross.
Speedy young winger, Marley Thomas, tested the Shepton defence and from one of his crosses, Dave O’Hare headed home only for the assistant to adjudge the ball had gone out for a goal kick.
Ex-Bristol City man, Aaron Brown, tried an audacious fifty-yard chip over Josh
Hayward, only for the seventeen-year-old keeper, on joint forms with Paulton, to catch the ball before it sailed into the net.
On sixteen minutes, Rovers took the lead as Brown’s corner on the right was firmly headed home by Darren Mullings. Billing had a great chance to level, but headed weakly from Loxton’s cross and then another ex-Rovers player, Ben Cleverley, saw his free kick go across the goal, eluding everyone.
As half-time approached, a Loxton free kick was headed wide by Liam Watson and in response, Thomas broke down the right, found Tom Knighton, who turned well and shot low to see Hayward save well, preventing Paulton adding to the lead.
The second half saw a midfield battle simmer as Brown produced another exquisite corner, with Captain, Scott Brice, winning the header, only to be adjudged by referee, Glen Barter, to have committed a foul.
With two minutes remaining, O’Hare won a header from Toby Osman’s cross. The ball fell to Knighton, who again found the keeper to hammer home. In added time, Cleverley cleared the line as O’Hare won another header.
This Saturday, Paulton start their second season in the Evostik Southern
Premier League with a home game to play finalists, Hungerford Town, at 3 p.m.
Richard Fey’s pre-season build-up, wining five and drawing one match, seems to bode well and all that remains now is for the public of North East Somerset and the Mendips to get behind the area’s premier side.
Report by Tony Walsh