ABINGDON UNITED 0 PAULTON ROVERS 0

Once again this match proved, if proof were needed, that 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 6 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 and from one of those in the 13th minute United had their first attempt on goal with a quick break that saw Carl Self volley over the bar from 25 yards out. 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 18 minutes when he got down well to his left to save 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 through ball from Craig Loxton. Loxton then had a 25 yard shot saved and with three minutes of the half remaining Rovers came closest to date in breaking the deadlock.

Mike Reaney sent a free kick down the left touchline and Barnes crossed for McCootie, whose angled right foot drive was cleared off the line by a defender on the far post. In injury time United too had a good chance as Lawrence Prior went past Stuart Pearson down the left and fired in a shot from a narrow angle that Phillips blocked with his legs at the near post.

The second period mirrored the first with Rovers dominating possession and territory without being able to deliver the killer punch. Their first chance came 3 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. Rovers introduced Ben Lacey for Ben Osman and in the 67th minute he was the recipient of a good passing move involving Loxton and Billing but once again Foster dealt with the strike from the edge of the box. The home side then enjoyed their past spell of the match culminating with Self setting up Prior for a shot that Phillips did well to save low to his right.

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 make with save with his legs.

Then bizarrely United’s assistant manager, Gary Ackling, was sent from the dugout for a trip on Tovey in order presumably to slow the game down! It failed as Rovers had three more opportunities to claim a vital win. Firstly 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 20 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.

Rovers: Kyle Phillips, Stuart Tovey, Mike Reaney, Marcus Mapstone, Stuart Pearson, Brandon Barnes, Craig Loxton, Ben Osman (Ben Lacey 63 mins), James Billing (Joe Bushin 58 mins), Dan Cleverley (C), Nick McCootie.
Subs not used. Josh Jeffries, Steve Bridges, James Vincent.

Referee: Sam Ogles

Assts: James Robinson / Steven Saunders

Attendance: 51