Bromsgrove Rovers 2 Paulton Rovers 0

Southern League Division One West

By Peter McKinney

TWO new signings sealed a much-needed victory for Bromsgrove Rovers as they bounced back from a mid-week defeat by overcoming Paulton Rovers on Saturday.

Striker Neil Davis and defender Gavin were on target to take the pressure off new manager Rod Brown and give him his first home win since he replaced Jimmy Mullen as manager.

A much-improved performance also helped the new manager's team wash away the memories of the 2-0 defeat to Marlow five days before.

Brown had acted quickly to try and solve his side's goalscoring problems, signing Moore from Redditch United and former Aston Villa hitman Davis from Moor Green at the end of last week.

With Hurren, on a month's loan from Kidderminster, the former Stourport and Redditch manager has already started to reshape the team.

The Rovers' boss will be pleased with the way his new look strike force seemed to hit it off from the start.

Defender Hurren settled the nerves when he bagged the opener in the second minute. Matt Johnson sent in a free kick from the right, which the former Nottingham Forest trainee headed past goalkeeper John Rendell into the left corner.

Rovers' new strike force carved open Paulton in the 11th minute. Goakeeper Lee Evans pumped the ball forward and Davis rose highest to head it down to Moore.

Moore teased defender Nick Hudson before dribbling past the Paulton player and unleashing a powerful low drive that Rendell turned around the post.

Moore was unlucky not to get onto a teasing Banner cross in the 15th minute, after Davis released the winger down the left flank. Evans did well to punch away Ben Cleverley's free-kick, while Anthony Maguire shot at Rendell.

Rovers had been in charge but a moment of magic almost pulled Paulton level. Cleverley sent in a dangerous cross and Richard Perry's overhead kick flew just wide of the post in the 20th minute.

But the hosts wasted little time in pushing for a second goal and went close when Johnson headed Moore's cross over at the far post.

The home side kept up the pace in the second half. Moore crossed from the left and Davis head the ball to Johnson, whose goalbound shot was blocked by Stuart Tovey in the 54th minute. Evans then had to be alert to save Dan Cleverley's volley minutes later.

Davis doubled Bromsgrove's advantage in the 59th minute. The striker beat the offside trap to collect Maguire's well-judged lofted pass and advanced towards goal.

Rendell did well to save his first shot, but the ball fell nicely into Davis's path and he squeezed it between the post and the 'keeper.

The visitors tried to hit back and Tovey and Nick Bunyard shot wide. Hurren almost added to Rovers' lead, but Rendell pushed his piledriver away in the 68th minute. Danny Guibarra headed Perry's corner over Bromsgrove's bar in the 73rd minute.

Hurren flicked a header wide from Johnson's corner in the 77th minute. Substitute striker Matthew Barnes-Homer then missed a golden scoring chance. Banner sent in a dangerous ball, which the young striker headed wide with the goal at his mercy.

Guibarra shot over Evans' goal from long range on the 86 minute mark, while luckless striker Ben Porter's goal famine continued.

The hard working hitman drove down the left into Paulton's penalty area and sent in a shot that seemed destined to be a goal until it hit Moore on the line in the 89th minute and bounced away to safety.

ROVERS: Evans 6, JOHNSON 8 (Barnes-Homer, 74mins, 6), Hillman 6, Hurren 7, Geohaghan 6, Adams 7, Benbow 7, Maguire 7 (Williams, 65mins, 6), Moore 7, Davis 6 (Porter, 71mins, 6), Banner 6.

PAULTON: Rendell, Bunyard, Drysdale (Tovey, 45mins), Hudson, Kilgour, Collier, B Cleverley (Guibarra, 18mins), Jerwood (Catley, 76mins), Evans, D Cleverley, Perry.

Referee: Mr A Watts (Kidderminster).

Attendance: 354.