NORTH LEIGH 1 PAULTON ROVERS 3

Rovers produced another excellent team performance as they grabbed their second away win of the week courtesy of three outstanding goals.

The visitors, playing down the slope in the first half, began brightly with skipper, Dan Cleverley, volleying over the bar and the Craig Loxton shooting straight at the keeper, within the first 10 minutes, with both coming from good work from Ben Lacey who caused the home defence problems all afternoon. Marcus Mapstone headed a Loxton free kick over the bar and Ben Osman shot straight at the keeper, after another run and cross from Lacey before Rovers eventually took the lead on 20 minutes.

It came from a ball forward, which Lacey headed wide to Steve Bridges whose run and cross picked out Loxton, who volleyed home from 20 yards, low to the keeper’s right.

Osman almost made it two 4 minutes later, shooting just over, after the hard working, James Billing, headed on a clearance from Rovers’ keeper, Kyle Phillips. The home side were playing some neat passing football but causing the visitors’ defence few problems although Brian Bowles forced Phillips into action on 27 minutes and the keeper did well to catch a well struck effort from substitute, Tom Roberts, after good work from Andy McCabe. Rovers should have doubled their lead minutes from the interval but after a great run and cross from Lacey, Cleverley volleyed over the bar.

The hosts began the second period strongly and pressed for the equaliser but Rovers weathered and storm and forced successive corners, before on 50 minutes they gave themselves some breathing space with a contender for goal of the season! The North Leigh defence cleared a ball into their box, only for Osman to send in a screamer from 30 yards that curled past keeper, Sam Warrell and into the net.

Lacey was denied the third on 56 minutes as again Billing’s header sent him clear but Warrell did well to save his volley. Just after the hour it was Phillips who produced a fine save to deny McCabe but the visitors’ keeper was beaten in the 70th minute as North Leigh gave themselves a life line.

Rovers conceded a free kick 25 yards out and skipper, Stuart Hole, sent his shot around the wall and in off the post with Phillips merely a spectator.

It looked as though Rovers would be in for an anxious ending but they restored their two goal cushion on 80 minutes with another goal of real quality. It came from a long ball forward, which Billing headed on and Lacey’s pace took him between two defenders before rounding the keeper and slotting the ball into an empty net.

Rovers did have to survive a couple of scares as Mapstone’s header back went past Phillips who made a hash of collecting it and was fortunate to see the ball run into the side netting and McCabe could only head weakly to the keeper from a cross in the final minute of time.

Rovers: Phillips, Tovey (Price 77 mins), Allward (Jeffries 65 mins), Osman (Dunn 56 mins), Mapstone, Brice, Bridges, Loxton, Billing, Cleverley (C), Lacey.
Subs not used: Taylor, Harvey.

Referee: Steve Glyde
Assts: Paul O’Hare / Simon Parbery

Attendance: 75