JOE Turley's swift strike proved decisive as Evesham United bagged a third-straight victory by trumping Paulton Rovers 1-0.

Midfielder Turley played a slick one-two with frontman Steve Davies before curling a left-footed finish into the far corner of Rob Brown's goal.

It took a solid defensive performance to see through a result that keeps the Robins in the thick of the play-off hunt having recovered from a recent wobble by winning at Winchester City and Barnstaple Town prior to this one.

Evesham began the game brightly and having taken the lead almost doubled it when Cory Simpson got on the end of Nick Hancock’s free-kick only for Brown to scramble it wide.

United kept probing and Simpson might have done better when Brown fumbled a Jacob Davidge centre but the wideman hit the side netting.

Paulton gradually found their feet but home keeper Andy Hannah seized control of a series of set-pieces.

There was a scare when Ben Prictor’s inswinging corner bounced off the bar but Evesham cleared their lines to claim a maximum haul.

Robins: Hannah, Hancock, Tunnicliff, Wellon, Anson, Turley, Harding (Williams, 73), Haskayne, C Simpson (Tucker-Dixon, 80), Davidge (Thomas, 77), Davies. Unused subs: Humphreys, K Simpson.