Southern League South West Division

Shortwood United 1

Paulton Rovers 3

THERE was to be no happy farewell for Jake Lee as he played his final game for Shortwood before going off to play for Conference South outfit Weston – super – Mare as Shortwood went down to another home defeat, writes Jim Cunneen.

The Nailsworth side continue to leak goals and it left boss Alex Sykes frustrated.

He said: “Once again I am bitterly disappointed.Individual errors cost us, again, and I am lost for words.”

He named Nick Hancock as Wood’s man-of-the-match, but the player of the game was Rovers centre-back Josh Ford who had a tremendous game and scored Rovers’ third goal.

Earlier, groundsman Mark Webb had done a remarkable job to get the game on, but by the end of the game he, and the Shortwood faithful, were left ruing the same old frailties that gifted Paulton the points.

Both sides swapped chances in a goal less first-half.

Goalkeeper Rhys Lovett parried a cross shot from Shaw with no one on hand to touch the ball home and Lee had an effort cleared of the line by Elcock.

Both keepers then made fine saves. Lovett somehow turned over a header from Best at full-length and Burton made a fine double save to deny Lee and Sam Mendes.

Wood were completely dominant for the first 20 minutes of the second-half and who knows what a goal in that period would have done for them.

Within two minutes of the restart Rovers enjoyed a remarkable escape. Steve Davies rattled the post from a Mendes corner and Matt Bennett hit the same post with his follow up.

Burton then turned a close range effort from Lee round the post. It seemed like Wood must score as they threw everything at Rovers, but Burton and the impressive Ford stood firm.

Wood were made to pay for their inability to take advantage of their domination after 73 minutes when Gould escaped down the right and his low cross was turned home by the unmarked Best from close range.

Worse was to come as just four minutes later Lovett raced out to challenge Gould who had burst through down the left and the forward pushed the ball past him into the far corner.

With 83 minutes gone Lovett picked up a back pass, the ball was touched to Ford who shot low past a forest of legs into the net to give Rovers a 3-0 lead.

Although Ross Langworthy tuned home a cross shot from Bennett with two minutes to go it was scant consolation.

SHORTWOOD: Lovett, Humphreys B (Langworthy 78), Bennett, Lewis, Weeks, Hancock, Davies, Mendes (Price 73), Lee, Morford (Meredith 73), Humphreys N

Star Man: Nick Hancock.

Next up: Shortwood v Salisbury, Jan 17.