Last Saturday's match once again proved, if proof were needed, that there are no easy games in this division. United, with nothing to play for and near the foot of the table, turned in a resolute performance in which keeper, James Foster, and his back four were outstanding. Rovers, on the other hand, will feel they did not get the luck they deserved.
The visitors made a bright enough start with Nick McCootie going down in the box under a challenge from a defender, but the referee correctly waived play on. The first chance of the game came on six minutes when Skipper, Dan Cleverley, surged from midfield before releasing Brandon Barnes down the left channel and his well-struck shot across goal was superbly turned aside by Foster.
Rovers were dominant at this stage, but the desire to put pressure on the home defence was let down by some poor set pieces. From one of those in the thirteenth minute, United had their first attempt on goal with a quick break that saw Carl Self volley over the bar from 25 yards. Rovers responded and another great pass from Cleverley set Barnes away and his cross was headed down by Billing, but Foster made the save. Kyle Phillips, in the visitors' goal, saw action for the first time on eighteen minutes when he saved a deflected effort from Self. Rovers' pressure mounted as Billing blazed over from a corner, Marcus Mapstone saw his header sliced over the bar by a defender and Foster raced from his line to block a McCootie effort from a great throughball from Craig Loxton. Loxton then had a 25-yard shot saved and with three minutes of the half remaining, Rovers came closest in breaking the deadlock.
The second period mirrored the first, with Rovers dominating possession and territory without being able to deliver the killer punch. Their first chance came three minutes after the restart, with Stuart Tovey sending in a ball that Billing headed on to McCootie, but his shot saw another good save from Foster low to his right. Prior then had a chance for United, but failed to hit the target. However, United's chances of pulling off a shock were severely dented in the 78th minute when left full back, Paul Taplin, was dismissed for a two-footed challenge. Rovers should have made them pay in the 85th minute when Bushin's header sent Lacey on a run and his pass sent Barnes through, only for Foster to save with his legs. Bushin volleyed wide after an excellent passing move ending with a Lacey cross from the right, then Mapstone had a shot cleared off the line by a covering defender and finally, Cleverley's twenty-yard shot saw Foster make the save. But the ball looked to have squirmed from his grip and gone over the line before the keeper recovered and clawed it back, only for the assistant to indicate, in his opinion, the whole of the ball had not crossed the line.
Rovers' winning streak may have ended, but, in the end, a point proved a good result, as news of Yate Town's defeat at the hands of Sholing filtered through and Swindon Supermarine and Merthyr Town also failed to win. This Saturday, 20th April, Paulton play their 'planned' final home league game against Didcot Town at 3 p.m. This game could determine if they make the play-off and if so, what place they finish. At present, Rovers could miss out and finish sixth or achieve a play-off place and conceivably finish third! Andy Harris