Southern Paulton boss looking for ‘positive response’ against Parkway
JOHN Rendell feels his Paulton Rovers performers are confronting their “first little test” as they prepare to visit Plymouth Parkway tomorrow.
Rovers have slipped the wrong side of 2-1 and 3-2 scorelines up against visitors Evesham United and Highworth Town, respectively, in their last two Division One South outings.
Although that hardly represents a crisis heading to Devon – indeed, Paulton breezed to a 4-1 home victory over Highworth once more in Tuesday night’s spirit-raising League Challenge Cup preliminary round affair - Rendell insists he is looking for a “positive response” when it comes to league matters from a team lacking consistency personnel-wise, a fact he concedes has proved a frustration.
“We’d had a good, positive preseason and start to the season with back-to-back wins and good fitness levels shown,” he reflected. “We then did okay in our goalless draw with Larkhall when we were denied by their outstanding ‘keeper time and again; and even against Frome, when we lost 3-1 there in the FA Cup, we went toe-to-toe with them and gave everything we had.
“Our last two league games have been very disappointing. We’ve looked weak at the back and on Saturday after the Highworth defeat I kept the lads behind for a bit, because after getting it back to 2-1 to us we were very much in a winnable position. Again, the gifting of goals cost us.”
Rendell has responded to the dip by signing 18-year-old full-back Leighton Tuodolo, who made a full debut against Highworth on Saturday following his arrival from Chippenham Town.
The Paulton manager has also issued a seven-day approach to Larkhall for their more experienced, versatile full-back James Byrne, who had been part of Paulton’s exciting FA Cup march to the fourth qualifying round in 2017 when Rendell was still new to the Winterfield Road hot-seat.
The Rovers leader admitted: “Player availability hasn’t helped. Key players have been missing for
various reasons and it has affected us. Dan Cottle, Nuno Felix and George Fowler were all missing on Saturday and are big players for us.
“On the plus side our links with the club’s academy are paying off, as 16-year-olds Joe Paradise and Harley Prior are showing promising signs with us, as is Leo Eglin at 17, who has come over from Bath City Academy. It’s a great experience for them and it’s good having them around the first team set-up.”
With Parkway now uppermost in his mind, Rendell said: “This period has proved a first little test for the boys to negotiate. It’s a pretty new group and a young one at that. On the whole they’ve been brilliant since stepping up with us.”
Of that 4-1 midweek cup success over Highworth, courtesy of David O’Hare’s double and Ed Butcher and Liban Ibrahim strikes, Rovers assistant boss Paul Tovey said: “We made seven changes from Saturday and played great in the first half to go into half-time 2-1 up.
“Highworth had one attack and scored from it, and in a more even second half they missed a golden chance before Dave came off the bench to score two quick goals and make the game safe for us.”
It’s been a baptism of fire at Cossham
Street for Mangotsfield United’s relatively new manager Ray Johnston, who takes his team to Willand Rovers in Devon tomorrow still looking to pin a first point to their board in Division One South.
Field, who have been mourning the passing of groundsman and supporter John Tuck this week, did offer some welcome cheer on Monday evening as their under-18 team defeated Bristol Manor Farm visitors 3-1 to progress to the second round of the FA Youth Cup.
Bristol Manor Farm’s first XI still seek some consistency results-wise after a mixed start to their Division One South season, as they hit the road for an encounter with Evesham United.
Nonetheless, they travel to Worcestershire lifted by first half Lewis Leigh-Gilchrist and Owen Howe goals, the latter from the penalty spot, in Wednesday night’s 2-1 away defeat of Willand Rovers to move into top-six contention.
Yate Town boss Paul Michael, meanwhile, is bracing his men for a second appetising collision with high-flying Premier Division rivals Gosport Borough in the space of a week, this time in the second qualifying round of the FA Cup tomorrow. The Bluebells took a 2-1 tum
ble in Hampshire on Saturday at the hands of the Prem’s secondplaced side.
After matching their opponents for lengthy spells in that one, the Lodge Road leader is confident his players can give Gosport a run for their money in the prestigious national knockout arena.
“Saturday’s game was a really even one in which we took the lead and they equalised quite quickly,” he said.
“We were then on top for the rest of the half and the game ebbed and flowed. Although Gosport had the best of the possession and territory in the early stages of the second half, we missed three great chances to take the lead and potentially win the game. In the end we felt we could have done better, although what it tells me is we can go into Saturday’s game confident that we can mix it with a strong, solid, typical Southern Premier side who give precious little away.”
The Lodge Road leader is nonetheless charged with lifting his team following a frustrating 2-0 Tuesday night loss at home by Truro City. “We were gutted with our performance,” he said. “It’s the first time this season we’ve felt we were well beaten.”