TAUNTON Town boosted their confidence ahead of Saturday’s Evo-Stik league at home to Clevedon Town (3pm) after collecting their first away point of the season on Tuesday.

Meanwhile the Under-18s gained their first win of the season in the Somerset Floodlight League on Tuesday with a 3-1 defeat of Brislington at Wordsworth Drive when goalscorers were Toby Nicholson (2) and Stephen Pepperell.

The two teams meet again next Tuesday at Brislington (7.45pm).

Paulton Rovers 3, Taunton Town 3

On Tuesday night Taunton handed debuts to Bodmin midfielder Neil Slateford, ex-Bridgwater and Bideford keeper Sam Hutchings and Josh Ford from Clevedon.

A much improved performance yielded a first away point of the season, writes James Wright.

Taunton had a couple of early half chances with Khaled Badavi firing an angled drive wide and Simon Ingram volleying over.

But the Peacocks fell behind on 12 minutes when Hutchings put his defence under pressure with a poor throw out, and James Billing pounced to fire Rovers ahead.

Neil Peek equalised almost immediately with a close range header, and the goal triggered a purple patch for the visitors.

Craig Herrod created space for himself and tested Kyle Phillips with a stinging drive. Peek was just unable to force home the rebound.

The deserved second came shortly after the half hour mark when Ingram muscled his way on to a long John Harris throw and rammed the ball into the roof of the net.

However, the visitors were just unable to hold their lead until the interval. Hutchings was left clawing thin air by a fine Ben Lacey left-foot drive.

Inspired by the goal and playing up their slope, Paulton regained control in the second half. Lacey made a thrilling burst down the right, but Billing was just unable to find the target from his tempting cross.

The threatened goal arrived in the 64th minute when Marcus Mapstone arrived at the back post to head home a Craig Loxton free-kick from the left.

Taunton salvaged a fully deserved point just before the end when a blocked Peek shot fell enticingly into the path of substitute Jamie Short who finished with some aplomb.

Taunton: Sam Hutchings, Tom Lang (Josh Ford 80), John Harris, Owen Irish (captain), Ben Gerring, Rob Norrish, Neil Slateford (Jamie Short 69), Simon Ingram (captain), Neil Peek, Khaled Badavi, Craig Herrod. Unused subs: Lee Smyth.