FA Trophy Paulton complete quickfire cup double over Manor Farm

PAULTON Rovers made it successive cup progressions at The Creek as they held on for a 2-1 victory against Bristol Manor Farm on Saturday afternoon.

Paulton eventually won an enthralling Southern League Challenge Cup tie on Tuesday evening, via a penalty shootout, and carried that momentum into Saturday’s FA Trophy fixture when they took the lead early on.

Ben John had already made two fine stops in the match before he was finally beaten by Ed Butcher. The forward seized on some slack defending, before tucking the ball into the corner of the net.

Manor Farm wasted a big change to equalise shortly afterwards. Midcan fielder Lloyd Mills turned superbly in a congested area, but his chipped effort sailed over the crossbar.

The visitors had a couple of good chances to double their lead. Liban Ibrahim raced clear of Steve Kingdon, but the advancing John did brilliantly to save. When John was beaten a minute later, he had teammate Josh Ford to thank. Butcher rounded the ‘keeper, but his low effort was cleared in the nick of time by the defender.

Farm should levelled on the half hour-mark. Great work from Ben Bament as he turned inside and found Owen Howe, whose fierce shot was saved well by the flying Aaron Sainsbury after faking past a Paulton defender.

Paulton would take their narrow lead into half-time, but not after a couple more chances to extend it. Ibrahim curled a free-kick just wide, before Farm defender Sam Boulton timed a last-ditch tackle to perfection to thwart Nathan Brown.

Farm came out for the secondhalf with a much higher tempo, but it wasn’t long before further defensive woes came to light again.

Butcher had ample time and space to find the unmarked Leighton Thomas, who rifled home on the counter-attack.

Manor Farm’s Lewis Leigh-Gilchrist had a curler brilliantly saved by Sainsbury, before Paulton’s Will Harvey could only stand and watch his own whipped set-piece cannon off the inside of John’s post and roll to safety.

Manor Farm would get a goal back to set up a grandstand finish. Kyle Tooze showed persistence to hurry defender James Byrne into a mistake, before his sliding pass found Howe, who had the easiest task of rolling in his third goal in five days.

Farm’s comeback mountain got even steeper with 15 to play. Captain Aron Robbins, already booked five minutes before for a late challenge, was given his marching orders for an equally poor tackle on Brown.

John twice denied an insurance goal for the visitors, before Manor Farm came close to forcing another shootout when Tooze’s snapshot was blocked late on.

This report first appeared on www.bristolmanorfarm.com.

Mangotsfield United were knocked out of the FA Trophy with a 2-1 defeat at Southern League Division One South rivals Willand Rovers.

Joe Cattermole put Mangotsfield ahead with a 44th-minute free-kick which found the net via an upright.

Noah Coppin raced through to score a 54th-minute equaliser.

The hosts snatched victory in the 90th minute when Archie Reay slotted home a penalty following a foul by Matt Davis, which resulted in the Mangotsfield player being sent off.