First Team
Matches
Sat 27 Apr 2024  ·  Division One South
Paulton Rovers F C
First Team
E Butcher (63')L Eglin (95' Sent Off)
1
1
Evesham United
L Steele (29')
Paulton Rovers 1 - 1 Evesham Utd

Paulton Rovers 1 - 1 Evesham Utd

Jon Green28 Apr - 12:11
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https://www.paultonrovers.co.u

Rovers good form continues but have to settle for a draw

Thank you to our match sponsor: A.M. Hancock & Son - Plumbing and Heating Engineers.

Report by Jon Green

An excellent volley by Rovers' Ed Butcher cancelled out Evesham's Levi Steele's goal in the first half of the final game of the season at The Winterfield Stadium.

Under the watchful eye of our MP, Sir Jacob Rees Mogg (whom had been invited after assisting the club in obtaining a grant for our floodlight upgrade last year) and his sons alongside Harriet Turner from Pitching In, the game got underway. Confidence was high after last week's win over Exmouth but with another depleted team, it was Evesham that made the early running.

With crisp passing and using the wings at every chance, Evesham had most of the possession. Chances fell for Levi Steele and Amer Awadh but neither troubled Frankie Phillips in the Rovers goal. Rovers were struggling to maintain any sort of hold on the ball as Evesham pressed them into mistakes. So it was somewhat against the run of play that Paulton won a penalty in the 21st minute when Ed Butcher was brought down in the box after a rare foray forward. Butcher stepped up to take the spot kick himself and it took an excellent save from Evesham's Ben Taylor to deny the opening goal.

In the 29th minute, the visitors got the opener. With Rovers again making moves forward and the defence up high, Evesham pressed the hosts into another mistake and hit a long ball forward which left Levi Steele though one on one with Frankie Phillips and he made no mistake.

The game became a little more subdued as half time approached with neither team looking like making clear chances although in the 36th minute Ed Butcher broke clear on the left and delivered a cross that Leighton Thomas headed just wide. Milo Murgatroyd was introduced soon after when an earlier injury to Braeden Symes couldn't be shaken off. It gave Rovers some more momentum going forward but the half time whistle blew with neither keeper being unduly tested.

As with the Exmouth game last week, the second half was a different affair. Rovers were much more on the front foot with more possession and caused Exmouth a number of issues at the back. With the Under 18s in attendance, the atmosphere was building and Rovers got their deserved equaliser in the 65th minute. Evesham failed to clear a long throw-in from Dan Restorick and the ball fell to Ed Butcher on the edge of the 18 yard box and he hit a sweet volley that hit the ground and popped back up and out of reach of the keeper.

With their tails up, Rovers continued to press forward looking for a winner. But Evesham still looked dangerous on the break and a chance fell for Frederick Willcox in the 67th minute but his shot was well over. In the 74th minute, William Owens whipped in a perfect cross and with two forwards launching themselves forward, it looked like a certain goal. But somehow, the ball eluded them both and ran to safety on the other side of the pitch.

Rovers continued to work hard and had a penalty shout in the 78th minute when there appeared to be a handball in the box. The protests were waived away and Leo Eglin was booked in the aftermath. Neither team were able to make a meaningful chance in the remaining moments of the game and as the added time ticked down, Eglin brought down an Evesham man and received a second yellow card. The resulting free kick was the final action of the game. Both teams would have been disappointed not to get a winner but it was fair result on the day.

Rovers' man of the match was acting captain, Jack Dancey, who seemed to be popping up all over the pitch breaking up Evesham play and involved in a number of the forward moves.

Match details

Match date

Sat 27 Apr 2024

Kickoff

15:00

Attendance

186

Competition

Division One South

League position

7
Evesham United
19
Paulton Rovers
Team overview
Further reading

Team Sponsors

First Team Kit Sponsor - CFH
Tracksuit Wear - Dixon Construction Company (SW) LTD
Sponsor - JMF Plastering
League Sponsor  - Pitching In
Player Sponsor - A&S Business Consultants Ltd
Manager Sponsor - Cathedral View Glamping
Player Sponsor - Doctor  Gas Ltd
Player Sponsor - Open Vision Finance
Player Sponsor - DDFL Solutions