Barnes storming five in 7 up

Paulton gave a convincing promotion chasing display hitting seven against old rivals Clevedon on a bitterly cold Monday night.

Rovers dominated from the start with Ben Lacey partnering Josh Klein-Davies in attack with Nick McCootie serving a one match suspension.

The two Paulton men were causing the home defence all sorts of problems with Darren Jeffries on the right and Brandon Barnes on the left giving speed down either wing.

Barnes made it 1-0 on twenty six minutes when a long free kick by Kyle Phillips was flicked on by Klein-Davies to Barnes to shot home.

Two minutes later Lacey won a tackle on the half way line and sent Barnes on his way to slip past on rushing Oli Barton in the Clevedon goal to make it 2-0.

Rovers continued to press and on the stroke of half time Barnes completed his hat trick. Lacey started the move found Klein-Davies whose inch perfect ball to Barnes cut in from the right wing to beat Barton.

At 3-0 more goals seemed likely, but in a rare attack it was Clevedon that pulled one back after a foul on Ross McNab. Full back Sam Teale hit a superb twenty five yards shot that beat Phillips.

The advantage was restored eight minutes later when that man Barnes again hit an equally superb free kick after Klein-Davies had been fouled. The wing man curled the ball low around the Clevedon wall beating Barton to make it 4-1.

On seventy minutes a speedy attack out of defence saw Jeffries race down the right, lay the ball to Klein-Davies whose through ball into Lacey allowed his strike partner to set himself up for a shot to make it 5-1.

Five minutes later Jeffries put the ball through to Barnes who turned and cheekily back heeled the ball into the net from twelve yards out to make it 6-1 to Paulton.

There was five minutes remaining when the tireless Klein-Davies received the ball from Barnes to tuck home to make it 7-1 for Rovers.

Paulton Rovers - Kyle Phillips, Ryan Batten (sub Ollie Price 75 mins), Scott Brice, Dan Cleverley (C), Marcus Mapstone, Dean Evans, Brandon Barnes, Mike Perrott, Josh Klein-Davies, Darren Jefferies, Ben Lacey (Joe Vyner).

Sub not used - Josh Brigham, Josh Jeffries, Mike Reaney.

Paulton have now scored fifty four goals in sixteen league games to retain third place with close rivals Wimborne the visitors to Winterfield Road this Saturday K-O 3-0

Rovers man of the match - Brandon Barnes