SwindonSuper5-2Sholing

Scorers : Hopper 17, Gray 46, Morse 50, Shepperd 59, Stanners 63  /  Nick Watts 8, Byron Mason 18

Date : Tuesday 16th December 2014 - 7:45pm kick off - Evo-stik League Southern, South & West Division 1

Swindon Supermarine : Sam Warrell, Mark Flanagan (Aaron Ferris 70), Scott Bevan, Cameron Pirie, Ross Adams, Chris Taylor (Joe Shepherd 46), Bradley Gray (Corey King 70), Harry Etheridge, Luke Hopper, Ryan Stanners, Ryan O'Hara.  Sub not used: Jake Simpson

Yellow Card : Etheridge & Ferris

Sholing: Jordan Brooks, Kevin Brewster, Sam Olaofe (Jess Walklin 50), Dan Miller (Sam Wilson 77), Mike Byrne, Alex Sawyer, Barry Mason [c], Jack Smith, Dan Mason, Byron Mason, Nick Watts (Tobi Adekunle 65).

Yellow Card :  Alex Sawyer 55, Jess Walklin 62, Bryon Mason 87  /  Red Card: Jack Smith 74

Attendance : 92

Man of the Match :  Byron Mason

Referee :  Dale Wootton.  Assistants: Neal Templey, Neil Evans

Sholing were looking very good at half time, leading 2-1 and playing some good football, but then the second half started and it all went very wrong.

Team News: Rory Anderson & TJ Cuthbertson missed out after colliding with each other near the end of the Bishops Cleeve game on Saturday.  This meant we had all three senior goalkeepers out, so 16 year old Jordan Brooks made his debut.  Mike Byrne returned from suspension to partner Dan Miller at the back.

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The Boatmen started the game brightly with Dan Mason almost getting in but being denied by the defender with a last gasp challenge. We didn't have to wait long for the first goal, when on 8 minutes, Byron Mason skillfully controlled the ball in midfield and played a pass inbetween the defence for NICK WATTS to run onto and coolly slot past the advancing keeper.  Debutant Brooks, was called into his first action when he got down well at his near post to save, but there was nothing he could do about the Supermarine equaliser.  A shot from Hopper on the edge of the box, flicked off the heel of Mike Byrne and found its way (as they always do) into the bottom corner.

However, a minute later, the Boatmen were back in front.  A poor clearance from the Supermarine keeper was chested down by Wattsie 35 yards out, he cut inside and returned the assist favour to BYRON MASON, who finished clinically.   Sholing remained on top, with Byron flashing a header a foot over the bar from a corner.  The rain started to fall, the home side created some half chances that didn't threaten our goal much and it was a well deserved lead at the break  HT 1-2

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The Second half started, which on reflection, was generally a bad thing to happen.  Straight from the re-start, a break down the right wing ended with a cross from Gray skidding off the wet surface and Brooks was unable to stop it squirming in at the near post.  Four minutes later and the home side were in front, Morse skipped past a couple of tackles to find acres of space inside the box and fire home.  Sam Olaofe went down injured and was replaced by Jess Walklin, with Jack Smith going into the left back slot.  We lost control of midfield as a result and the home side swarmed all over us, scoring twice more through Shepherd & Stanners.  Both goals were well taken, but from our point of view, they got in far too easily.

Couldn't get any worse?  Yes, yes it could.  Wattsie went off with a tight hamstring and Dan Miller was clearly struggling with a foot injury.  They both went off and joining them off the pitch was Jack Smith, who was red carded for a lunging tackle.  It probably merited only a yellow, but the ref thought otherwise and his opinion is the only one that matters.   To the lads credit, they re-organised, with Byron going into central defence, didn't concede anymore goals and were pushing forward for a consolation for the last 10 minutes. FT 5-2

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View from the Stands:  Such a strange game, can't recall Sholing ever having such two contrasting 45 minutes of football in a single match.  The early goals in the second half killed us, but even still, we should have defended them better as a team.  Supermarine saw how well we got in behind in the 1st half and took those tactics onboard and it worked.  The injuries keep on mounting up, we seem jinxed this season, plus we'll lose Jack Smith for a game or two (dependent on refs report).  Well done to Jordan Brooks on his debut.  He's 17 in a week or so, but didn't look out of place and impressed with his distribution and very long goalkicks.  I would say "one for the future" but if injuries & availability don't improve, he maybe inbetween the sticks again very soon.