Report by Jon Green

In a game littered with controversy, Rovers lead three time before being pegged back, eventually pulling away to take the points.

With Rovers safe in the playoff spots and with Buckland needing victories to join them, this wasn’t going to be an easy game.

The hosts pressed from the start and looked the more dangerous and as with Saturday’s game at Ivybridge, Paulton looked somewhat lethargic. So it was against the run of play that Rovers took the lead in the 7th minute.

Krystian Woods pressured the defence causing a mistake and he stole the ball before casually lobbing the keeper.

Buckland responded almost immediately when Jordan Copp fired a ball deep from the defence. The ball was picked up and crossed where Copp met the ball again and dude footed the ball past James Smallcombe.

After a frenetic start, the game settled with neither team taking control. As the half wore on, Rovers started to move the ball around better and chances fell for Max Williams and Martin Lenihan before the game’s first major controversy.

As the half drew to a close, Buckland thought they had the lead after a scrambled goal but the linesman had seen a foul in the lead up. With the home players up in arms and complaining, Paulton restarted quickly cutting Buckland through the middle, Williams finding Stan Wyatt who slipped the ball past the keeper.

The home crowd were incensed and protested that the goal shouldn’t have stood but the referee was unmoved.

Rovers started the second half slowly again though and Buckland were level within moments of the restart. Copp was involved again finding Isaac McCue who slammed the ball in. Rovers had felt there was a foul on Sid Partridge in the build up but the complaints were waived away.

The visitors had to get better quickly again and did start to show more impetus again. Their third came in the 57th minute when Sid Partridge found Brandon Bak on the edge of the box. He cut inside one tackle before shooting. The keeper got a hand to the ball but couldn’t keep it out.

Yet again Buckland hit back quickly, when McCue hit a long ball over the top finding Ryan Bush who seemed to get past his man easily before finishing.

But Rovers led again just as quickly after winning a controversial corner in the 64th minute. The ball had seemed to be knocked out by Tom Bradley but the linesman gave a corner. Martin Lenihan delivered to the near post where Chris Peck was waiting to flick the ball in with his head.

Surely now Rovers could hold on!? Indeed, Rovers still looked to press on Max Williams forced a great save from the keeper before the game was effectively put to bed in the 82nd minute.

The resulting corner was launched to the far post where Will Osborne knocked it back across the goal. Tom Bradley seemed set to score but somehow nodded it back to Osborne who headed goalwards. The keeper clawed the ball out but not before the ball had crossed the line. The home players were sure it hadn’t gone in but the linesman was sure.

There was still time for more too! In the dying seconds, Will Osborne was chopped down and a melee followed as the two teams got angry. Sam Hill was booked for his part.

And with seconds remaining, he was deemed to be deliberately holding up the taking of a throw in and was booked again and sent off.

The game ended with some bemusement from both sets of supporters as to what they had seen. But most agreed they had had their monies worth!

Next Up:
Street (A), Good Friday, 1pm