Bishops Cleeve 6 Paulton Rovers 1: Rovers crashed out of the FA Trophy competition as they struggled in the hot sun against a well organised and slick Bishop’s Cleeve side.

Within moments of the start of the game, Cleeve were on the front foot and an early chance went wide of the post without troubling Sam Jepson in the Rovers goal. Rovers worked hard but too often passes were going astray as they found the surface tricky to get to grips with.

It was the ninth minute when Cleeve made the breakthrough. Ross Langworthy got the better of Nick Hewlett in the rightback position and he placed a perfect cross across the box for Ethan Dunbar to slot the ball past Jepson.

Rovers continued to huff and puff but couldn’t find a way to breakdown the stubborn defence of the hosts and get a shot away. In fact, Cleeve had several more chances go begging before they doubled their lead. Ben Mclean put through Ross Langworthy in acres of space and he calmly lobbed the onrushing Jepson for the first of his hattrick.

Paulton finally got a shot away from David O’Hare in the 25th minute but it was high and wide. The next five minutes went from bad to worse for the visitors to Kayte Lane. Firstly, Toby Stephens was lost to injury in the 26th minute (replaced by Martin Lenihan) then just three minutes later, Neil Martin was adjudged to have fouled Ethan Dunbar in the box and the penalty was given. Jay Malshanskyj stepped up to take the penalty but Sam Jepson was equal to it, making his second penalty save of the season. Unfortunately, he could only parry it away to Tom Holland who tucked the ball away.

In the 33rd minute, Cleeve had a header smash off the crossbar and four minutes later, Jepson again had to make an outstanding save to stop the fourth. With the game going into added time in the first half, Rovers started to put some passes together and Kye Simpson was put through only to be fouled on the edge of the box (or possibly in it) but the ref waived away the protests. However, the ball found its way out to Joe Morgan on the right but his shot dragged wide of the post.

Cleeve topped off the half when Jay Malshanskyj shot though a crowded Rovers box, the ball deflecting off Langworthy on the way, and past Jepson for the fourth. It would have been churlish for any Rovers supporter to deny that Bishops Cleeve didn’t deserve the lead at the break.

A second half turn around was unlikely, and things seemed to be continuing in the same vein early on when Langworthy lobbed the defence for Dunbar to smash the ball against the post. However, Rovers did start to make some sense of the artificial pitch and began to get a foothold in the game; albeit too late. Firstly, a nice move ended with Martin Lenihan producing the first save from Lewis Clayton in the hosts goal.

But seconds later, David O’Hare delivered a cross from the right to the far post that Kye Simpson volleyed into the top of the net from a tight angle.

Rovers had picked up substantially and were now asking questions of the Cleeve defence.

In the 57th minute, a long throw in from Dan Restorick seemingly hit the arm of a Bishops Cleeve defender, but any protests were again waived away. Minutes later, Nick Hewlett found himself free on the right but he was stopped just as he was about to take his shot.

The rightback, would be at the heart of several more moves as he overlapped Martin Lehinan and in the 72nd minute the keeper was forced to stop a dangerous cross and put it out for a corner.

Joe Morgan made way for Jemar South-Thomas in the 73rd minute and despite the mini-Rovers comeback, any hopes were dashed when the hosts made it five in the 74th minute; Dunbar scoring his second.

Leo Eglin replaced Fin Haines who seemed to be limping a little as he made his way off and seconds later, Hewlett whipped in another dangerous cross. But this time Kye Simpson couldn’t quite connect.

It was the last gasp for Rovers as Cleeve broke again; Callum DeBonis taking a shot that deflected to Langworthy to knock in his third and Bishops Cleeve’s sixth.

It’s hard to gauge how much the conditions had on the game and its the same for both teams anyway.

Bishops Cleeve fully deserved to progress to the next round and a tame performance from Rovers will need to be put right quickly.

The next game sees Hamworthy Utd as the visitors to Winterfield Road on Saturday, 16th September as we return to Southern League fixtures.

This is a rearranged game due to have been originally played later in the season.

Jon Green