PAULTON ROVERS 2 CINDERFORD TOWN 0

Rovers’ sixth successive victory not only gained them revenge for an opening day 3-1 defeat at Cinderford but more importantly took them into 4th place in the table to keep the pressure on Merthyr Town and Yate Town for the play off positions.

On another bitterly cold night the hard pitch and strong wind made passing extremely difficult. Having survived an early chance when Ben Osman latched onto a Joe Bushin header down and sent his volley wide it was the visitors, with the wind at their backs, who looked the most likely to take the lead. On 7 minutes they took a free kick from the right, which bobbled around until Andy Lewis fired in a shot that skipper, Dan Cleverley, cleared off the line. Just a minute later and Town’s two strikers, Lewis Sommers and Lee Smith combined well but the latter sent his volley high and wide. Having weathered the storm Rovers broke in the 12th minute when a ball forward was well gathered by Nick McCootie, playing against his previous club and he played a ball inside the full back for Brandon Barnes to race clear, round the keeper and then fire over the bar from a narrow angle.

It was to be McCootie who broke the deadlock on 16 minutes as he controlled a clearance downfield from keeper, Kyle Phillips, before racing away between two defenders and slotting the ball past Alex Harris in the Town goal.

Rovers almost made it two on 21 minutes as the impressive Bushin set up Cleverley for a shot from the edge of the box which Harris did well to tip over the bar. Barnes took the resultant corner which fell to Bushin but his volley deflected off Sommers for another corner. Cinderford then had a chance to draw level as Sommers went away down the left and crossed into the box where Mike Reaney’s header out dropped to Dale Evans who fired wide.

Rovers then doubled their lead on 29 minutes as Bushin headed on a ball forward and Osman fired in a shot that Harris saved, but couldn’t hold and Barnes following up fired in his fifth goal in three games.

Town almost reduced the arrears 10 minutes before the interval as Evans’ in-swinging corner from the left deceived everyone and looked to be going in until Craig Loxton hooked it clear. Rovers then lost Barnes to a gashed leg and Osman almost made it three just before half time with a shot across Harris that just went wide of the far post.

The home side began the second period well as Harris was forced to race from his line to just reach a through ball before McCootie and then had an easy save to make from a long range Bushin effort. The game then became something of a midfield stalemate with both sides failing to string any moves together in the strengthening wind. Rovers did have two headed chances, Bushin heading an Osman corner wide on 67 minutes and Scott Brice also off target on 78 minutes from a Stuart Pearson free kick. Bushin had another chance in the final minute as substitute, Josh Jeffries, did well to win a challenge and poke the ball through to his striker who went between two defenders but put his shot off target.

Rovers have another home game on Saturday against inform Cirencester Town.

Rovers: Kyle Phillips, Stuart Pearson, Mike Reaney, Marcus Mapstone, Scott Brice, Brandon Barnes (Josh Jeffries 41 mins), Craig Loxton, Ben Osman, Joe Bushin, Dan Cleverley (C), Nick McCootie (James Billing).
Subs not used: Charlie Rich, Stuart Tovey, James Vincent.

Referee: Paul Lister

Assts: Lewis Ibbeson / Sam Littlefair

Attendance: 137