PAULTON ROVERS 1 BISHOPS CLEEVE 0

For over an hour Bishops Cleeve looked as though they would repeat Abingdon United’s achievement of frustrating Rovers but, just as he did the previous week against Bath City, it was Josh Jeffries who earned his side a victory that takes them to the very brink of the play-offs.

Bishops Cleeve belied their lowly position in the table with a solid defensive performance in which keeper, James Nortei, showing why he has earned a professional contract in Sweden, was outstanding. They played a neat passing game throughout but fortunately for the home side were lacking in the final third. They began well with Robson Dale off target with an early volley and Rovers pinned in their own half until on 12 minutes they produced a good move down the right with Stuart Tovey finding Nick McCootie who played a neat 1-2 with Joe Bushin before firing over from a narrow angle. At the other end a free kick from Michael Davis went beyond the far post and was volleyed back across goal towards Sam Avery but the assistant flagged for offside. Then on 17 minutes another ball from Tovey found McCootie who set up Bushin for a shot that cleared the bar.

Rovers were denied on 21 minutes as McCootie did well to win a corner from the left, which Brandon Barnes took and picked out Marcus Mapstone who out jumped everyone to send in a header which was cleared off the line by a defender on the near post. Both sides had half chances as skipper, Michael Jackson, volleyed over the bar for the visitors while Nortei just beat Bushin to a Tovey cross and Jeffries shot over the bar after good work from Craig Loxton.

The closest the visitors got to scoring all game came on 39 minutes with a move down the left, which saw Stuart Midwinter flick the ball onto Dale, but Kyle Phillips in the home goal produced an excellent save diving low to his left. Rovers almost grabbed the lead just before the break with an excellent move down the right that saw skipper, Dan Cleverley, turn and cross to the far post where Bushin’s header looked to be finding the top corner until Nortei somehow tipped it over the bar.

The visitors began the second half brightly but with no real threat and it was Rovers who had a great chance to take the lead 7 minutes after the restart as Barnes crossed from the left and Jeffries volley back bounced to Bushin 6 yards out but his header was again superbly touched over by Nortei. Rovers pressure was mounting as a Barnes shot cleared the bar, Cleverley had a shot saved and an excellent Barnes free kick from the left eluded everyone and drifted to safety beyond the far post.

The breakthrough finally came on 65 minutes with an excellent sweeping move as Loxton’s cross field pass picked out Barns on the left and his curling left footed cross found Jeffries, ghosting in at the far post, to drill the ball home.

Jeffries went close to doubling his and Rovers’ tally 10 minutes later with a great shot that flashed just wide of the post after good work from McCootie. The points should have been made safe with 10 minutes to go as McCootie’s ball saw substitute, James Billing, do well to hold off a challenge from defender Sam Avery, but he miss hit and dragged his right foot shot from 10 yards, wide of the post.

Rovers held on comfortably but were no doubt relieved the referee ended the game promptly, which means Rovers need two more points from the final two games to ensure a play-off spot assuming Yate Town win all of their remaining games starting with a the visit of Swindon Supermarine on Thursday evening.

Rovers: Kyle Phillips, Stuart Tovey, Mike Reaney, Marcus Mapstone, Stuart Pearson. Brandon Barnes (Steve Bridges 81 mins), Craig Loxton. Josh Jeffries, Joe Bushin (James Billing 58 mins), Dan Cleverley (C), Nick McCootie (James Vincent 88 mins)

Referee: Lewis Price

Assts: Richard Morris / Mark Dadds

Attendance: 114