PAULTON ROVERS 0 v 3 SHORTWOOD UNITED

Paulton Rovers manager Nick Bunyard was gutted by his sides disappointing performance losing 3-0 at home to Shortwood United.

He made two changes bringing Mike Reaney at left back to rest Marcus Mapstone, who is recovering from injury, to the bench and Darren Jefferies on the right wing for Ben Lacey, who had a family illness.

Rovers strted brightly with Jefferies crossing deep from the left and Reaney testing the visiting defence with a free kick.

Nick McCootie and Jefferies linked well found Brandon Barnes who nearly set up Josh Klein-davies.

Shortwood were a threat with every attack. The lanky Ross Langworthy drew two saves from Paulton keeper Kyle Phillips who also held a testing shot from the visiting captain Jake Parrott.

Langworthy and his strike partner Adam Mann were giving the Paulton defence a difficult time, but Rovers did put together a string of fine moves that broke down in the final third.

Shortwood went ahead after thirty five minutes when Dan Cleverley was harshly adjudged to have fouled Parrott whose resultant chipped free kick found the on rushing mark Richards race into the box and head home past Phillips totally in marked.

Paulton came out guns blazing in the second half and although they challenged there was no fire power from the lethal attack that has seen sixty seven goals in league games so far rhis season.

The game was effectively killed off on fifty nine minutes when a long ball from Nick Hancock was chased by Mann who outpaced the Rovers defence. His first shot was parried by Phillips and he made no mistake tucking away the follow up.

Paulton pushd to try and reduce the deficet with McCootie, Mike Perrott and sub Joe Vyner testing visiting keeper Tom King.

Rovers Christmas blues were compounded when another long ball this time by Sam Avery was fastened on to by Mann who rounded phillips to tuck the ball into an empty net to make 3-0.

In the dying minutes Shortwood winger Matt Bennett was shown a straight red for a two footed foul on Dean Evans.

This was Paulton's heaviest defeat and poorest display of the season. They have chance to bounce back away to Swindon Supermarine on Saturday, although that's a side a rarely get any points from in Wiltshire.

Paulton Rovers - Kyle Phillips, Ryan Batten, Scott Brice (sub Joe Vyner 65 mins), Dan Cleverley (C), Mike Reaney, Dean Evans, Brandon Barnes, Mike Perrott, Darren Jefferies, Josh Klein-Davies Stuart Tovey 76), Nick McCottie.

Sub not used - Lewis Pierre (G/K), Marcus Mapstone, Ollie Price.