PAULTON Rovers continued their good form in the Premier Division of the Jewson Western League with an excellent 4-2 win against Oldland Abbotonians on a foggy Boxing Day at The Winterfield Stadium.

The opening minutes of the game saw the two teams getting a feel for the ball in the wet and dingy conditions and it took a while for the game to fire into life. In the 11th minute, Wayne Ndemerani, who was excellent all-round game, made a forward run from the left back position playing in Kye Simpson on the left-hand side of the box. As he took control of the ball he was clearly tripped by an Oldland defender and the referee didn't hesitate to point to the spot. Dan McBeam stepped up and calmly tucked the ball away past ex-Rovers keeper, Rob Brown.

The next twenty minutes or so saw the hosts taking charge with some excellent passing and moving in and around the Oldland box. In the 18th minute Will Hailston and Milo Murgatroyd linked well on the right to get a low cross in towards the near post and McBeam was unlucky not to connect to grab his second.

But it was only four minutes later before the second did arrive. Rovers forced a corner which was sent in by Will Hailston and Josh Ford powered in a shot which Rob Brown did brilliantly to keep out but Kye Simpson kept the ball alive by feeding it back out to Hailston who, in turn, found Murgatroyd on the edge of the box. His cross was met at the far port by Jack Dancey who crashed his header against the crossbar and in.

With a two goal lead, Rovers sat back a little letting Oldland back into the game and although the visitors saw more of the ball the Rovers' defence was restricting them to long range efforts in the main. As the end of the half approached, Rovers stepped on the gas again with Jack Farion and Milo Murgatroyd both going close before the third in the 42nd minute. Kye Simpson brilliantly pressured an Oldland defender into a mistake on the byline, stealing the ball from him. He rolled to ball to Will Hailston who moved it onto Milo Murgatroyd who was in acres of space and able to pick his spot firing back across the keeper.

The second half began in familiar territory as Rovers immediately pressured Oldland again. Seconds in and Dan McBeam jinked his way to the byline, putting in a low cross that Simpson steered just wide of the near post. Moments later, Murgatroyd thought he had his second with a header from a cross but he was harshly adjudged to have pushed a defender to get the ball.

But his second did come in the 54th minute. He made an excellent run down the right finding Dan McBeam in the box. McBeam used his quick feet leaving an Oldland defender standing and watching as he was passed. Brown did brillianlty to stop two shots from McBeam before the ball came back out to Murgatroyd who nonchalantly poked the ball into the net.

The result seemed assured but five minutes later Oldland started to ask a few questions. Attacker Reece Ferguson jinked his way past two Rovers defenders and it seemed inevitable he would score but Dan Jackson pulled off a great save to stop his shot. The ball was delivered back in and an unlucky Jack Dancey got himself on the scoresheet again as he could only deflect the ball into his own net.

Much of the rest of the half was a more disjointed affair with Rovers breaking up the play with substitutions. Certainly, Oldland were seeing more of the ball but not really forcing Jackson into making any desperate stops and the removal of McBeam, Murgatroyd and Simpson naturally took the edge off the home side’s attack.

It took until added time for Oldland to add their second. After Corey Rawlings poked just wide for Rovers, Oldland moved the ball quickly forward and with a long pass into the box the ball kicked up and off the hand of the unlucky, again, Jack Dancey. Tom Blake tucked the resulting penalty away.

It gave Oldland something to go for and they applied some pressure in the final moments but the Rovers defence stood firm. It was an excellent result going into the local derby with Welton Rovers on New Years Day!

Jon Green