Paulsgrove march into cup knockout stages – but boss Grant is happy to carry on rotating

Grove secured their spot in the last-16 of the supplementary cup competition with a 2-0 home win over Clanfield.

Danny Lane and Jake Daniels' second half efforts ensured Paulsgrove made it four straight group 7 wins as they reached the knockout rounds with two games to spare.

Grant has used virtually all the club’s registered players in the competition and he says he'll remain 'true to his word' and keep giving players from both first team and reserves minutes - even if they continue to progress.

He said: 'We’ve worked it out on Saturday and I think we’ve only got two players who haven’t had minutes with us, they’ve been playing with the ressies. I’ll get a couple more in over the next couple of games and give a few of the boys who have played a bit more a rest.

‘For Me and Steve Ledger (assistant manager), it’ll be down to man management now. We did it on Saturday, which is why Steve came on because a few players were getting tired and that’s when injuries will happen.

‘It’ll be exactly the same as we’ve done (in the knockout stages).

‘I know it sounds horrible, but it’s just about getting minutes into people.

‘Obviously, if we start progressing through and it gets to the final then you’ll end up with 30 players available it’ll be a bit harder to pick a team.'

Lane edged ahead of Horndean-bound strike partner Zak Willett in the Grove leading scoring stakes, firing the hosts ahead with his 20th goal of the season soon after the restart.

Ledger, introduced for the final 20 minutes, then found the head of Daniels with a precise free-kick.

Grant admitted it was far from a vintage display, but was pleased to see Paulsgrove make it four straight victories.

He said: 'We were poor Saturday to be fair by our standards.

‘The first half was the worst half of football I’ve ever seen, not just from us, from both sides.

‘Steve Ledger set Jake Daniels' goal up - he had to come on as we were so short.

‘He played in the ball in and Jake scored and it was all he talked about for the whole time. I had to remove him from the group chat but he’s back in now!'

Daniels started the season with Harvest Home, who provide Grove’s opposition for the last two group ties - home this Wednesday and at Front Lawn next Saturday.

Clanfield boss Lee Blakeley, meanwhile, also rang the changes after his side had trounced Harvest 4-0 at Westleigh Park two days earlier.

He was keeping players fresh for next weekend’s big clash with Denmead - whoever wins that will progress into the last 16.

‘It felt a little bit flat,’ said Blakeley of the Grove defeat. ‘We looked a bit leggy, just really flat - I think all the games we’ve had has caught up with us.’

Attacking midfielder David Rutton had celebrated his first Clan start with a double strike against Harvest, with Adam Smalley and Matt Skevington also netting.

Rutton again started against Grove, with full-back Skevington forced off with a hamstring injury that makes him a doubt for next Saturday.