PAULTON ROVERS 1 EVESHAM UNITED 1

This proved a match that arguably saw Rovers’ best performance of the season to date although the points were shared in an exciting game, which could have gone either way right up until the final whistle.
Rovers had the better of the first half with Craig Loxton having a couple of early chances, the first blocked by a defender and the second going wide. Ben Lacey too had a shot off target after good work by Kris Miller. On 15 minutes Nick McCootie went away down the right and crossed for Loxton to send in a fierce shot that the visiting keeper, Dean Coleman, did well to keep out. Just 4 minutes later and in a quick break away Loxton did well to control a high ball and find McCootie who slipped the ball through to Miller whose shot went just wide. However the closest they came to breaking the deadlock was on 20 minutes as a sustained period of pressure saw Marcus Mapstone have a header cleared off the line. Loxton then played a great ball wide to Lacey and his run and cross just eluded McCootie on the back post. Rovers did have the ball in the back of the Evesham net on 27 minutes as McCootie fired home after more excellent work from Loxton but was adjudged offside.

Somewhat against the run of play, United took a 32 minute lead when, after a neat passing move in midfield, Daniel Holgate scored with a superb 35 yard shot all along the ground which beat Rovers’ keeper, Kyle Phillips low to his right.

Despite pressing hard for an equaliser the hosts went into the break a goal down but immediately after the resumption after Mapstone headed a Ben Osman free kick wide and they levelled in the 48th minute courtesy of some poor defending as a loose pass went to Kris Miller who played in Nick McCootie and although his effort was blocked the rebound fell to Miller who fired home from just inside the box.

The visitors responded well and enjoyed their best spell of the game as Phillips had to make comfortable saves from Holgate and Leigh Downing whilst the keeper was relieved, after missing his punch, to see Mapstone clear the danger. Rovers had a couple of let offs just after the hour mark as Holgate did well to pick out Marcus Palmer whose 30 yard shot clipped the bar with Phillips beaten and then Henry Eze found himself unmarked from a Downing corner but failed to hit the target with his header. At the other end Lacey continued to cause the United defence problems with his pace and having had one great cross cut out at the near post he found Loxton who set up Osman for a cross which Jeffries flicked over the bar and then he was denied a deserved goal when his shot was deflected wide for a corner after good work by McCootie. Neither side looked prepared to settle for a point and play switched from end to end as Palmer tested Phillips from distance whilst Mapstone headed over a corner. Rovers could have grabbed the winner on 78 minutes but after Coleman produced a fine save from Loxton, Miller’s corner picked out skipper Dan Cleverley but he flashed his header over the bar.

In the closing stages Osman did well to block an effort from Nathan Hicks whilst a diving header from Eze was off target. At the other end a long ball forward from Phillips in the final minute saw Miller hit a first time volley that Coleman somehow touched over the bar.

Rovers: Kyle Phillips, Ben Osan, Lee Davidson, Marcus Mapstone, Scott Brice, Josh Jeffries, Craig Loxton, Ben Lacey, Nick McCootie, Dan Cleverley (C), Kris Miller.
Subs not used: Stuart Pearson, Stuart Tovey, James Vincent, Nick Bunyard.

Referee: Gary Parsons

Assts: Andrew Laishley / Colin Hubbard

Attendance: 138