An excellent performance from a reinvigorated Paulton, who overcame a decent Yate side.

Rovers pressed down both wings, with Kailan Gould down the left and Dave Sims on the right stretching the home defence.

Sims drew a bad foul from left back Chris Gregan, to draw a penalty in the sixteenth minute which James Byrne converted.

Sims scored Paulton’s second in the 22nd minute, cutting in on the right, evading two tackles and turning the ball in from a tight angle.

Gould made a darting run from the left, but his drive was parried away by Yate keeper Harvey Rivers.

Yate missed several chances firing wildly wide on several occasions.

In the final minutes of the first half, Rovers three times in succession saw the home side make goal-line clearances from shots from Charlie Ten-Grotenhuis and twice by captain Dale Evans.

Yate came out battling, and there were some great saves from French keeper, Alex Andre, on loan from Bristol Rovers, which will have pleased the ’Gas’ watching coaching staff.

On 64 minutes, Paulton made it 3-0, as Sims picked up a loose ball and ran on twenty yards, dribbling past two tackles to slot around Rivers.

They made it 4-0 four minutes later, as Gould’s free kick was turned into the net by a defender, although Jack Ball – playing against his old side – was awarded the goal.

In the last ten minutes, Andre produced saves from Nick Pearce, Lewis Gilcrist and Kyle Tooze, and in the final minute, Tooze – playing against his former side – must have been dismayed at Andre’s brilliant last save, ’c’est manifique!’

Tony Walsh