PAULTON ROVERS 1 v 2 YATE TOWN

Yate Town deservedly grabbed all three points after Paulton brimmed with confidence for the first twenty minutes.

After early exchanges came to nothing, Rovers were awarded a free kick in the seventh minute for a foul on striker Ryan Bath. From twenty five yards out Paulton's leading scorer Brandon Barnes struck a well taken fee kick to put his side 1-0 up.

In a flurry of chances for the home side Ben Lacey nearly set up Bath and moments later Nick McCootie mistimed his shot.

Rovers had a golden opportunity to add to the score on twenty three minutes when bath's cross was headed straight at Yate keeper Martin Horsell.

That was the turning point as former Bristol Rovers striker Lewis Haldane tested Kyle Phillips and the keeper held a deep cross from Town's right back Jake Cox.

'The Bluebell's' levelled the score after twenty eight minutes when a cross by Cox was met by Haldane whose shot hit the foot of the post and was met by Bryant to drive the ball past Phillips to make it 1-1.

Yate started the second half brightly with a twenty five yard drive by Mitch Tippens followed by a dazzling thirty yard run by the impressive right winger James Hamer with some sterling defending by Scott Brice in the heart of the Rovers defence.

In the fifty sixth minute Paulton produced their best move involving Lacey down the right, Mike Perrott finding McCootie and splitting the visiting defence for Barnes to run dink the ball goal ward past Horwell only for defender Joe Chandler to clear off the line.

Rovers were trying too much long ball with moves breaking down. Yate gained the upper hand in the seventy second minute when Bryant chipped a ball over the Paulton rear guard for substitute Jordan Rickets to race on to and slip past Phillips.

With three minutes left Rovers won a corner which Barnes took from the left. Such was the dispair in the Rovers camp that Phillips raced into the opposing penalty area but the chance came to nought.

The surprising thing is that with other results going their way Nick Bunyard's men go into Saturday's home match against Guildford City still just in fourth place one place above Yate because of a better goal difference.

Paulton Rovers: Kyle Phillips, Stuart Tovey (sub-Josh Klien-Davies 74, Sam Teale, Marcus Mapstone, Scott Brice, Brandon Barnes, Mike Perrott (Dean Evas 65), Ben Lacey, Ryan Bath (Saul Williams 65), Dan Cleverley (C), Nick McCootie.

Subs not used: Alex Lapham, Ryan Batten