Winchester City faced a tough opening fixture away to Paulton Rovers on Saturday and so it proved to be against a side that is almost always in the top five or six of the British Gas Business Football League.
Manager Andy Leader was handicapped by the absence of some regulars unavailable due to holidays and other commitments but nevertheless fielded a team, that had the luck been with them could have won the game. City hit the bar and post yet lost to a freak goal in a match, where it has to be admitted, the home side played the better football, but only just. The side was skippered by James Wilson who had an excellent game despite his added responsibilities.
Both teams struggled to come to terms with the wind and rain and it was both their first games with the new league sponsored ball that several times bounced well out out of the ground. Richard Gregory was beaten by a bad bounce when well placed but in general his runs down the flank were productive. It was Winchester who started the strongest when Kyle Joryeff with only the keeper to beat, put his shot wide and then the same player had the misfortune to see a free kick diverted into the keepers arms by a lucky defender's foot, when it appeared goal-bound.
Paulton's hit back with a powerful long shot that went wide of Clint Davies' post and then the City keeper was called into action to make a diving save from a Dan Cleverley shot well inside the box. The home side took the lead in the 21st minute with a move down the right which started with a throw in collected by Chris Lane and his run and cross produced a tap in for Rob Claridge who was completely unmarked on the goal line. Within a few minutes it looked as if City had equalised when Rovers failed to clear a corner from the right and an overhead kick from Brett Williams clipped the top of the bar.
City's midfield saw Kelly and Gray getting their fair share of the ball but too often Williams was playing a lone game upfront. As the half ended Rovers had a period which put City under pressure. The spotlight fell on James Eyles and Sam Lockyer who defended well. Cleverley got in a header and Josh Jefferies shot straight at Davies with Matt Bowler harrying him. Playing with the wind in the second half, City just edged the play and looked a more dangerous unit when Moussa Mamadou replaced Joryeff early in the half. He gave Williams more support in attack.
It was the Rovers, however, who had the early chances, before City were very unfortunate not to have drawn level on 61 minutes when a penetrating run from Adam Kelly resulted in his shot beating keeper Kyle Phillips only to hit the post and bounce clear. Just after this incident City lost the services of Adam George through injury and he was replaced by Dan Esfandiari (62). Rovers scored what proved to be the winner in the 67th minute when a neat passing move ended with Cleverley's fine inidividual shot from 35 yard completely deceiving Davies when its flight dipped dramatically to leave him flat footed. Kelly set up a chance for City to get back into the game in the 82nd minute when Phillips did well to get down low to a shot but could only push it away for a corner on the right which saw central defender, Bowler, rise above everyone and power home a header.
City: Clint Davies, James Eyles, Richard Gregory, Sam Lockyer, Adam George, Matt Bowler, James Wilson, Adam Kelly, Adam Gray, Brett Williams, Kyle Joryeff, Richard Gregory. Substitutes; Moussa Mamadou (50th), Carl Foster, Daniel Esfandiari (62nd), Joseph Wright, William Harvey.
