PAULTON ROVERS 2 WINCHESTER CITY 1

COSTLY ERRORS

Two errors cost Winchester City the points at Paulton Rovers Athletic Ground on Saturday in a game they looked to have been winning.

Steve Moss had to re-shuffle his side with Melvin Rogers and Danny Wakefield both ill, new signing Neil Champion came in for his first start. Unfortunately, he made his debut with a miss timed tackle but as he adjusted to the speed of a Southern League match, began to spray some telling passes about.

The early pressure belonged to City in a first half that was fairly even. Pete Smith put in a run and shot just wide and Ian Mancey went close after
picking up a ball from Mark Gamble. City forced three corners on the trot with Lloyd Webber and Jamie Musselwhite getting in shots but all were cleared.

Mancey came close again when he chested down a cross from Smith and was give two attempts to shoot but eventually the Paulton's defence hacked the ball upfield. Tom Vavrecka worked hard on the flank and created chances but the Paulton's defence played well.

The Rovers came near to scoring from a free kick but keeper David Hook pushed a difficult ball over the bar.

It looked as if City might have taken the lead just before half time but Musselwhite was ruled offside when well placed and just before the whistle
Mancey was just wide of the post with the Paulton's keeper struggling to get across his goal.

Gamble did not take the field for the second half as he was suffering from a 'dead leg', James Davis substituted.

Disaster struck in the 47th minute when David Goss conceded a penalty with a clumsy tackle and Paulton's Dan Cleveley gave Hook no chance with the spot kick.

City were back on even terms two minutes later when Mancey slammed home a loose ball from outside of the penalty area after Musselwhite had got in a shot that was deflected out of the box.

Smith continued his good work of the first half by chipping the keeper after a run down the wing but the ball was just over the bar as City continued
to press. Jones came very close to putting Winchester in the lead from a Smith free kick with a diving header but the Rovers keeper did well to scramble the ball away. Webber got into the act with powerful shot but again the keeper parried.

It was Jones who came even closer to snatching the lead when he shot from a header into the box by Champion and the keeper just got a finger-tip to the ball at the base of the far post.

Champion came off in the 78th minute as the pace of the game began to tell on his lack of match fitness and he was replaced by Wes OConnor returning after injury and in the 80th minute Andy Darnton came on for Vavrecka as Moss tried to inject some fresh legs into the Winchester attack.

Unfortunately and with time running out, the draw was snatched from City by a long upfield punt. Hook came too far off his line to deal with the problem and Phil Walsh chipped into the empty net.

The defeat plunged City into the relegation zone and only goal difference keeps them out of the bottom two with three clubs tied on eight points

City: David Hook, Francis Dolan, Peter Smith, Mark Jones, David Goss, Tom Vavrecka, Lloyd Webber, Neil Champion, Ian Mancey, Jamie Musselwhite, Mark Gamble, Substitutes: James Davis (46th), Andy Darnton (80th), Wes OConnor (78th), Mark Zawadski.

This Saturday City can leave their league worries behind them but face a tough away trip to Southern Premier League Northwood in the F.A. Trophy.