OCFC 1-Paulton 1

Last night Paulton Rovers renewed their acquaintance with Court Place Farm after a break of a season even though their choice of the ‘scenic route’ lead to a twenty-minute-late kick-off.
The match took a while to settle into much of a pattern and, though Walsh almost got on the end of a looping cross from Barnes early on for Paulton, it was City that began to forge the better chances. Mark Jones, who ran and ran all evening, couldn’t quite control an excellent through ball but still brought a good save from Dyson and, from the resultant corner Avery had his shot blocked on the line. Harry Burnley was making some incisive runs on the right with crosses just eluding both defenders and attackers, but on 25 minutes another run of his gave Danny Keen, hard-working as always, a first-time chance in the area, but the shot went just too high. Jones too was getting in some telling centres, but no-one was ever quite on hand to add the finishing touch.
The visitors were forced into an early substitution on the half-hour when Walsh sustained a head injury and then promptly produced a flurry of activity in the City box, bringing a couple of corners, a good save from Wilkins, and a shot from Dan Cleverley that went just wide.

HALF TIME: City 0-0 Paulton Rovers

Paulton restarted the quicker and Wilkins had to be quick out of his area to clear from Barnes, before picking up a badly injured ankle while bringing off a fine save from Bunyard after 55 minutes: Greg Williams took over in goal.
From that point on City pressed much the harder and it seemed that the Somerset side were more than content to settle for the two points and, surprisingly, hardly tested City’s stand-in keeper – who performed very well indeed when called upon. The Blues were producing plenty of crosses but, as in the first half, that finishing touch was absent, and it looked as though the game was destined for 0-0.
Then, after 77 minutes, in the aftermath of one of several free-kicks conceded on the flanks by the visitors, the ball dropped kindly to Lewis Craker in the box who planted it past Dyson. Craker disappeared under a pile of blue shirts; the visitors, to a man, sprinted to half-way with the referee to point out a handball; and the visiting management were so excited by this development that they grabbed a match ball and kicked it high over the stand. The goal stood.
This galvanised Paulton into seeking a goal of their own, and they pressed forward in numbers. Evans and Dan Cleverley both hurried shots when well placed, and it looked as though City would take the three points, but, with three minutes of normal time remaining, the defence didn’t clear as cleanly as usual and Mark Harrington, on the edge of the area, struck an unstoppable shot that dipped over Williams and under the bar.
At two minutes to ten the final whistle went ... ensuring a very late return to the Westcountry for our visitors with their share of the points.

FULL TIME: City 1-1 Paulton Rovers

City; Wilkins (Lane 56); Durrant, Williams G., Avery, Craker, Takriti, Burnley (Williams R. 83), Merritt, Alleyne, Keen (Stewart 76), Jones.

Reporter: Chris Byrne