Paulton eventually overcame a determined Evesham United outfit to go back to the top of the division.
With stalwart central defender, Scott Brice, at a wedding, youngster Joe Vyner out with a broken arm and Stuart Tovey injured, Manager, Nick Bunyard, had to make a number of changes, as well as give several of his available squad fitness tests.
It was Rovers that had an early chance from a Brandon Barnes corner, which was header over by defender, Ollie Price. Lindon Dovey shot narrowly wide as United began to dominate, whilst Marcus Jackson tested Kyle Phillips in the home goal with a shot from distance.
Phillips was in action several times, cutting out crosses from the visitors' neat, attacking play. Paulton missed a chance to go ahead after a dazzling run from Ben Lacey, who played in James Billing, but his first time effort trickled wide.
Evesham had a glaring miss on 36 minutes, when Mitchell Botfield outpaced the Rovers defence and laid the ball to Dovey, who blasted over from short range. Shortly afterwards, Billing was barged over in the box with loud appeals for a penalty turned down.
Three minutes before the half-time break, Barnes won a corner on the left which he took himself and his perfectly-floated cross was headed home by Mike
Perrott to give Rovers the lead against the run of play.
It was a different Paulton that came out from the dressing room with Billing, Perrott and Lacey all having good chances. Captain, Dan Cleverley, was dictating ther midfield and on 62 minutes, his throughball to Jake Harris saw the Hereford United loanee strike the post, with Barnes following up to make it 2–0. Three minutes later, Carl Brown headed home unmarked from a Tambling corner to reduce the deficit.
Lacey had his best spell of the match and Josh Klein-Davies, on for Harris, was proving a constant threat. He laid a neat ball to Perrott, who blasted over the top and found Cleverley whose drive was just over the bar. Perrott then hit the post with fifteen minutes left, neatly side-stepping a challenge. From the rebound, Billing cracked his volley wide.
Phillips pulled off the save of the match from Brown as the visitors pushed to level. As Evesham threatened in the dying minutes, Barnes' long clearance was fastened onto by Klein-Davies who rounded the keeper to make it 3–1.
Team: Kyle Phillips, Dave Thompson, Mike Reaney, Marcus Mapstone, Ollie Price, Brandon Barnes, Mike Perrott, Ben Lacey, Dan Cleverley, James Billing, Jake Harris (sub Josh Klein-Davies 66 mins). Subs not used: Nick McCootie, Josh Jeffries, Dean Evans.
This Saturday, Rovers have a revised home fixture against Stratford Town, kick-off at 3 p.m. The Stratford-upon-Avon side were promoted last season as champions from the Midlands Alliance. Next Tuesday, Paulton travel to Yate Town, kick-off at 7.45 p.m.