Paulton Rovers 4 Bristol Manor Farm 2
Farm Skipper Steve Kingdon gave The Portwaymen a 24 th minute lead after
being set up in the box by debutant new-signing from Cirencester, Alan Griffin.
However, it was home debutant Marcus Day, on loan from Bristol City (more
Robins!), that turned the game around for Paulton with an eye-catching brace
during the last ten minutes of the half, firstly cutting inside a defender before
hammering home an equaliser on 37 minutes and putting his side ahead on the
stroke of half-time with a beautiful curling effort from the edge of the box that
gave goalkeeper Ben John no chance.
The second half continued in end-to-end fashion with Paulton extending their
lead midway through when Ben Withey’s free-kick deep from the left somehow
found its way into the net through a crowd of players at the near post. With
Griffin a focal point in Farm’s attack the visitors kept pushing for a goal and
after a sustained assault with four minutes left to play they duly got right back
in the mix when Jordan Metters coolly slotted home from a rebound twelve
yards out. Manor Farm then thought they had scored a 90 th minute equaliser but
substitute Ashley Kington’s 22-yard strike was deflected by goalkeeper Joe
Perry’s out-stretched fingertips agonisingly onto the post. Just moments later up
the other end former ‘Farm striker Ben Bament sealed the win for Rovers with
an injury time penalty after being brought down in the box by John.