Evo-Stik Southern Div 1 South & West.

Paulton Rovers 1 Cirencester Town 0.

PAULTON ROVERS extended their winning sequence to seven and kept their play-off push well on course after withstanding a second half barrage from Cirencester Town.

In a game of few chances, Paulton bagged what proved to be the winner in the 22nd minute when Brandon Barnes volleyed home a cross from Nick McCottie.

On a hard, bumpy pitch that was not conducive to flowing football, it was one of the rare moments of quality in a game that was nonetheless always competitive.

Ciren had their opponents pinned back for most of the second half but crucially failed to test Paulton keeper Kyle Phillips once in that time.

More than 20 minutes had been played in the first half before either keeper was called into serious action. Shane Bumphrey wriggled free of his marker on the left but could hit only a tame shot at Phillips from a narrow angle; 30 seconds later the ball was in the back of the Ciren net after a rapid Paulton break and neat finish from Barnes.

Paulton’s impressive No.6 almost set up a second in the 34th minute with a fine deep cross from the left which was headed over the bar by Ben Osman.

Paulton, playing down the slope, had perhaps edged the first half but Ciren could so easily have been level in the 39th minute. Ben Wells whipped in a trademark free kick with pace and Ellis Dunton got a firm header on it, only to see it acrobatically cleared from under the bar.

The hosts nonetheless had time for another swift break but Chris Thompson did enough to stop Joe Bushin getting a clean shot on goal.

Ciren keeper Glyn Garner was virtually a spectator in a one-sided second half as his team foraged forward down the hill, although he did have to be careful with two long-range efforts which bounced dangerously just in front of him.

At the other end, when Ben Wells clipped a superb, inviting ball into the Paulton six-yard box, no Ciren player gambled to get on the end of it.

Ciren were well on top at this point but their front three were having no joy against a solid Paulton back line and it was no help when Wells, their primary creative force who was carrying a hamstring injury, was eventually forced off in the 64th minute.

Bushin should have made the points secure in the 70th minute when he spearheaded a rare Paulton attack, only to fluff his attempted lob straight into Garner’s chest.

A minute later, Ciren did at last get beyond the home side’s back four and Stuart Pearson almost headed past his own keeper as he threw himself in the way of a teasing Aidan Bennett cross.

Sadly, for the visitors it was their last meaningful attempt on the Paulton goal.

Cirencester Town: Garner, Anson (capt), Dunton, Thompson, Henry, Mortimer-Jones, Hooper (Griffin, 77), Wells (Packer, 64m), Collier, Bennett, Bumphrey.

Standard MoM: Ellis Dunton.