Paulton Rovers 2

Slimbridge 1

WITH regular goalkeeper Eric Edge not fit, Slimbridge handed a senior debut to under18s keeper Lewis Adams, who had an outstanding game between the sticks.

Slimbridge started brightly - Gloucester City loanee Dan King getting a clear run on goal, but Paulton keeper Rob Brown got to the ball first and cleared the danger. Then, captain Dean Turner tried his luck from 30yards, but his effort sailed wide.

With 15 minutes gone, Ewen Dubar close range shot was blocked by the home defence, conceding a corner to the Swans. Christien Turner got his head to the corner kick, but his effort was just wide of the far post.

A move from the back, starting from Adams throw out, found Dunbar in space, but his shot was straight at Brown who gathered easily.

Slimbridge pressed. Edji Mbunga won a free-kick on the edge of the box after a mazy run across field; his kick unfortunately was too high to trouble the home side.

The home side, having soaked up the Swans early pressure, took the lead on 25 minutes, Ryan Gay tucking the ball away into the bottom right hand corner from 15 yards.

On the half-hour Joe Noakes fired a dangerous cross into the box towards the on rushing Dunbar, but he was just not fast enough to get his head to the ball and it sailed out for a home throw in.

At the other end, Adams was called into action punching clear a Paulton corner and then scrambling the ball off the goal line from Treyvond Anderson's header.

A few moments later Korey Pring miss-kicked a clearance from a home free-kick and to his relief only conceded a corner.

The home side camped in the Swans half. Anderson was again unlucky not to double the lead firing wide from five yards out in a crowded box after a long throw-in from the right.

With five minutes of the half remaining Adams was on hand to save Aysa Corrick's shot and a few moments later called into action again Gay on the right squared the ball to Joe Hilliard who's hesitation and weak shot allowed Adams to scramble back and make the save.

Just as the half was ending Christien Turner got his head to the ball from a corner again going wide after Mbunga had forced the corner from a fierce shot blocked by the home defence.

The second-half started well with Yeshya Lomotey getting a shot on goal, but Brown was on hand to stop the effort. At the other end the Swans conceded a soft second goal on 50 minutes, after failing to clear the ball from the box Gay’s shot on the left squeezed just inside the near post with Adams view blocked by Noakes as he tried to charge down the the shot.

Eight minutes later it could have been three, Pring pulled off a last gasp tackle just inside the box on lively substitute Ben Withey as he was through on goal. A double substitution on the hour by manager Lee Driver-Dickerson aimed to spark Slimbridge back into life introducing Jamie Martin up from and Ben Hands into the middle.

Initially Paulton still remained on top with Jay Malpas firing over from 25 yards and a few moments later Gay in search of his hat-trick forced Adams into a great save tipping the ball past his left hand post.

However on 65 minutes the substitution paid dividends, Hands cross field ball from right to left found Martin on the edge of the box. Martin jinxed past the keeper and a home defender who appeared to get in each other’s way firing into an empty net from a narrow angle.

Now the Swans pushed forward in search of the equaliser, Max Harper-Emerson cross into the box just evaded Dunbar. With 10 minutes remaining Noakes was forced into a clearance over his own bar from Withey’s throw in.

A couple of minutes later Mbunga headed wide from another Harper-Emerson teasing cross, as the visitors pushed forward they looked vulnerable at the back Noakes making a last gasp challenge on Withey.

As the game entered into injury time, Adams launched a cross into the box from the halfway line but Brown was there to take the catch under pressure from the visiting players camped in the box. With the Swans pushed high up the field Malpas stuck the post from distance with Adams beaten soon followed by Corrick’s shot from close range forcing Adams into a save.

At the death Slimbridge still didn’t give up, Pring hitting the side netting from Adams long kick and then Pring again with a chance getting on the end of a throw in from the right but his shot went wide from 10yards out just before the final whistle ended the game.

Unfortunately this time the Swans failing to gain a last gasp goal as they have done several times already this season.

Another busy week beckons with Merthyr Town the visitors to Thornhill Park on Wednesday evening at 7.45pm in a rearranged City Security Services Limited League Challenge Cup tie followed by the Buildbase FA Trophy Preliminary Round game at home to Melksham Town on Saturday with a 3pm kick-off.

Slimbridge: Adams, Noakes, Harper-Emerson, Pring, C Turner, Smith (Hands 60), D Turner, Lomotey (Hawes 77), Dunbar, King (Martin 60), Mbunga

Attendance: 145

Supporters' man-of-the-match: Lewis Adams.