PAULTON ROVERS 1 POOLE TOWN 2

Rovers, playing with 10 men for over half the game, can count themselves unlucky not to have taken a point from a bruising encounter at Winterfield Road.

The early exchanges were even as for Rovers Nick McCootie flashed a header wide from a Stuart Tovey free kick and a Poole break down the right saw a cross go beyond the far and was knocked back to Steve Devlin, whose shot was well caught by home keeper, Kyle Phillips. Rovers had a great chance on 6 minutes as Poole skipper, Michael Walker played the ball back to his keeper, Nick Hutchins, whose kick was charged down by Craig Loxton but the keeper recovered to push the ball away for a corner. This was taken short to McCootie who set up Ben Osman for a shot that went just wide of the far post. After a quiet spell both sides had chances as for the hosts, Josh Jeffries, got a touch on a Brandon Barnes free kick but could only direct it at Hutchins while at the other end Tovey’s clearance went straight to Adam Kelly who shot straight at Phillips.

The visitors went ahead on the half hour with a corner from the left, which was met by Walker but was saved by Philips only for Warren Bryerley to force the ball home after a scramble, which saw Rovers complain in vain for a foul on their keeper.

The visitors were enjoying a good spell and Sam Clarke sent a shot just over the Rovers bar and a quick break on 36 minutes saw Carl Preston go past two defenders on a run down the left, but his dangerous cross was cut out at the near post by Jack Allward. Then on 43 minutes Rovers felt Bryerley had used an elbow on defender Scott Brice and in the resultant melee a number of players squared up to each other but after the incident was calmed down it was Tovey who was shown a straight red for violent conduct in an off the ball incident with Preston. The Town player recovered sufficiently to send a shot just wide of the far post 5 minutes into added time after a good move involving, Bryerley and Kelly.

With their numerical advantage Rovers must have expected a difficult second half and the visitors indeed started strongly as Bryerley sent a near post header just over the bar from a right wing corner and the same player crossed from the right to set up Preston but Brice got in a great dive to block his shot. Having weathered the initial storm the home side began to show signs they could get something from the game as first Barnes latched onto a Dan Cleverley pass but shot straight at Hutchins and Jeffries headed over from a Loxton cross.
Therefore it was not that much of a surprise when on 75 minutes Cleverley’s through ball found Barnes outpacing the Town defence and firing a right foot volley past Hutchings from the edge of the box to grab the equaliser.

Town pressed to restore their lead and close the gap on leaders, Hungerford Town and on 78 minutes Phillips did well to tip over a Devlin free kick and from the resulting corner from the right the ball dropped to Preston, whose effort into a crowded box saw his own player, Walker, put the ball over the bar from 6 yards out. Rovers almost took the lead on 86 minutes with a repeat of their goal as Barnes raced clear again, this time from a Marcus Mapstone pass, but Hutchings, having left his line, managed a partial block before the ball was scrambled clear.

The game was decided in the final minute when under pressure Rovers could only partially clear a ball and Luke Burbage for the visitors, saw his intended cross, from wide on the right, loop and dip beyond Phillips and into the far corner of the net.

Rovers: Kyle Phillips, Stuart Tovey, Jack Allward, Marcus Mapstone, Scott Brice, Josh Jeffries, Craig Loxton, Ben Osman (Steve Bridges 65 mins), Brandon Barnes, Dan Cleverley (C), Nick McCootie.
Subs not used: Charlie Rich, Joe Vyner, James Vincent, Dan Cottle.

Referee: Stacey Woodley

Assts: Anthony Welsh / James Welsh

Attendance: 112