PAULTON ROVERS 1 v 2 HEREFORD UNITED

Match ball sponsor - Carpet & Fabrics Direct, Old Mills, Paulton

Match sponsors -Somer Craft Addix of Binegar and DJ & JA Rossiter Property of Pilton

Paulton deserved a point from one of the best matches seen at Winterfield Road, but lady luck was not on the side of Nick Bunyard's men as cash strapped Hereford United took away all three points.

'The Bull's' fielding a host of new players many with experience at a higher level got into the their stride and took the lead in the third minute when Bilal Yafai cut inside and mishit a shot which bobbled took a wicked deflected to beat Kyle Phillips.

Rovers responded when Nick McCootie was sent down the left wing by Marcus Mapstone, he cut in goal wards and drove a shot held by visiting keeper Luke Williams.

Yafai drove a low shot deflected for a corner which was headed clear by Scott Brice onto Dean Evans into the path of McCootie who turned and hit the ball firmly only for it to be well held by Williams.

Hereford's giant striker Samuel Akinde was proving a handful and the former Conference journeyman hit a wild shot from the left which went out for a throw on the right.

Kyle Phillips fisted out a corner taken by Josh Hawker destined for the head of Akinde. Paulton responded after thirty two minutes breaking down the left McCootie found Evans who ran on and saw his shot hit the United post and bounce away for a goal kick.

Ashley Williams and Jon Davies had been influential and hard working and it was real loss when Davies limped off on 38 minutes to be replaced by youngster Elliott Gibbons.

He immediately set up Mike Bryant whose volley brought a great save from Williams with half time looming. There was just time for the dangerous Yafai to threaten until a great tackle by Ollie Knowles.

Knowles was replaced at half time by Josh Klein-Davies playing up front he and McCottie soon combined to find Ashley Williams who was tripped as he headed into the six yard area only see referee Mark Lucie wave away the Paulton appeals for a penalty.

Bryant fired a free kick over the top and Ashley Williams corner was punched cler by his namesake after fifty two minutes.

Rovers leveled two minutes later with a class move started by Williams, laid the ball back to Stuart Tovey the full back found Bryant to worked it down the right wing for McCottie to cross low and Klein-Davies controlled the ball gave himself space to fired past Luke Williams to make it 1-1.

Hereford went on the offensive with Yafai testing Phillips who send Gibbons on a run he ran the ball onto McCootie who reverse pass was miss controlled by the youngster, but the ball fell to Evans only for his shot to be blocked by captain Brad-Lee Gascoigne.

Rovers were now on top and McCootie's pass to Klein-Davies brought a deflection off Louis Cutjar.

However Hereford broke away on sixty eight minutes down the right and siubstitute Bradley Fortnam-Tomlinson tore down the right wing, hit a long raking ball which was met on the left with thunderous half volley by fellow sub Steve Vetier giving Phillips no chance to put his side 2-1 up.

Evans and McCootie were proving handful down each flank and both had shots which brought saves out of Williams whilst the lively Vetier
hit a dipping twenty five yard shot only narrowly going over Phillips's crossbar.

With eight minutes left McCootie cross and Evans, Gibbons and Bryant all seemed to get in each other ways with the goal at their mercy and a certain equalizer on the cards.

Despite intense pressure by the home side that was a miss they were going to rue as 'The Bull's' held on for their first away win of the season.

PaultonRovers - Kyle Phillips, Stuart Tovey, Marcus Mapstone, Tom Seary, Scott Brice (sub Jordan Walker 77 mins.), Dean Evans, Ollie Knowles (Josh Klein-Davies 46), Ashley Williams, Mike Bryant, Jon Davies (Elliott Gibbons 38), Nick McCootie. Subs not-used: Tyson Pollard, Ryan Batten.

Paulton man of the match - Dean Evans
Man of the match - Luke Williams (Hereford United)

Attendance 302

Entertainment Value 5 out of 5