PAULTON Rovers were 7-1 home winners against Street in Boxing Day’s big game in the Premier Division of the Jewson Western League - in a game that truly contained two different halves!

Street came out the blocks the fastest, dominating the early minutes with some slick passing. But it was Rovers that went the closest to opening the scoring in the 8th minute. Kailan Gould used his quick feet to avoid a couple of tackles before laying the ball to Dan McBeam only to find his shot saved by Liam Kingston.

The first goal came moments after when Kyle Witt put in a tackle in midfield with the ball falling to Kitan Jaiyeoba who was clear through one on one with the keeper and he made no mistake. The Street players were up in arms with Witt’s tackle but the referee waived away the protests as he seemed to take the ball cleanly.

Rovers were now moving the ball around well themselves and in the 20th minute McBeam put Witt through one on one and again Kingston was beaten for a second time.

Street were stung into action again and struck back in the 27th minute when a freekick was won. Preston Hopwood laid of the ball to Scott Laird who smashed the ball in off the left hand post seemingly catching out the Rovers defenders who weren’t expecting it.

The visitors tails were now up and they pressed forward with most of the possession now theirs. Rovers seemed panicked and struggled to put passes together. Street went close again in 34th minute when James Smallcombe had to make a smart save from a powerful Kyle Strange shot. Rovers managed to see out the half without conceding again and would need some words at half time to settle them down.

Whatever was said worked. The second half was a very different affair. Right from the off, Rovers dominated the possession themselves. McBeam went close with a freekick in the 50th minute before Jaiyeoba grabbed his second. In the 54th minute, Kailan Gould brilliantly flicked the ball on for Jaiyeoba to go one on one yet again and for the third time, Kingston was beaten.

In the 63rd minute, Gould got his deserved goal when Kyle Witt put a ball over the top leaving the midfielder to calmly slot the ball in. It was five for the hosts two minutes later when Witt placed a free kick deep into the box that Jack Dancey did brilliantly to keep alive at the far post, knocking the ball back across the goal for fellow defender, Alex Hallett, to fire in.

It was a rare goal for the centre back but he grabbed another just four minutes later. Another Witt freekick found Hallett at the back post and his shot struck the crossbar and into the net.

With a commanding lead, a raft of substitutions followed allowing Rovers to rest players for next weekend’s clash with tabletoppers Clevedon Town. Street nearly grabbed a late goal in the 83rd minute but James Smallcombe made an unbelievable stop with his legs, saving Lewis Morgan’s shot.

There was still time for Rovers to grab another.. McBeam launched a corner kick to the far post where Jack Dancey was lurking to nod in the seventh. K ailan Gould was Man of the Match sponsored by Viatec.

Jon Green