Comfortable win for a changed Rovers side.

Match report from Dave Aldridge

Paulton Manager Andy Jones fielded a changed team following Saturday’s 2-0 defeat against Abingdon United, with Nolan, Flower and Crew from the reserves starting.

Paulton started strong, and after only two minutes Ricky Hulbert broke through on the receiving end of a Dan Cleverly header, but the Larkhall defence did a good job in closing him down. Hulbert continued causing problems for Larkhall, and on seven minutes he broke through again, and this time Larkhall defender Lee Burns brought him down just outside the box, receiving a yellow card for the foul. French took the free kick, and swung the ball around the wall into the top right hand corner of the net beating goalie Adam Sheppard, who managed to get a touch, but couldn’t keep the ball out.

 The game was definitely going Paulton’s way, but Larkhall striker Dave Bailey caused problems for Paulton forcing Goalie Kyle Phillips to work hard to keep Bailey’s close range shots out. Larkhall’s best chance of the first half came from Lee Collier as beat the Paulton defence to head a high ball in from a corner. The ball was only partially cleared lining Bailey up for another shot, but the attack ended in a Paulton free kick following a foul on Nolan.

Some early pressure from Paulton in the second half produced several chances with Dan Flower sending in a superb cross that beat the defence, but no-one was there to collect it. Seconds later Flower found himself one on one with the Goalie, forcing an excellent save from Sheppard. The constant pressure paid off and French collected his second goal from a Ben Cleverly corner, heading through the crowded box.

Larkhall were by no means out of the game and Milner fired a rocket of a shot from outside the area forcing Phillips to dive full stretch to push the ball out for a corner. The corner came out to Collier waiting in the centre, and his volley shot over the crossbar.

Paulton pushed up to the end, and as Chris Lane broke through on the left, he was sent flying by a fierce tackle by Larkhall’s Collier, who was very lucky to get away with only a talking to from the referee.

With the minutes running away, Larkhall’s Andy Gilbert came painfully close, after winning a free kick in front of the goal, his strike beat both the wall and the goalie, only to hit the inside of the post, and bounce back across the goalface, to be cleared by the defence.

Team: Phillips, Pendry, Lane, Nolan, Trought (Cousins 59), Crew, Jefferies, French, Hulbert (B Cleverley 45), Flower, D Cleverley (C) (Tovey 69). Subs not used: Burborough, Claridge.