Larkhall0-0Sholing

Scorers :

Date : Saturday 25 April 2015 - 3:00pm kick off - Evo-Stik League Southern South & West Division 1

Larkhall Athletic : Alex Shaftoe, Ryan Elliott, Ross Lye, Giorgio Wrona (Ron Hobbs 68), Ollie Price (c), Dan Jones, Matt Morris, Matt Thorne (Joe Tumelty 55), Brad Morris (Tyler Sibbeck 55), Dean Griffiths, Ben Horan Unused Subs: Jake Garner, Josh Barrington

Yellow Card :

Sholing : Matt Brown, TJ Cuthbertson, Joe Griggs, Pete Castle (Owen Roundell 45), Dan Miller, Jack Smith, Marvin McLean, Kevin Brewster, Dan Mason, Barry Mason (c), Tobi Adekunle (Lewis Blackmore 45) Unused Subs: Sam Olaofe, Liam Golding, Rory Anderson

Yellow Card : 

Attendance : 147

Man of the Match : Kevin Brewster

Referee : Adrian Tranter (Poole) Assistant Referees: Adrian Knight (Southampton) Derek Pratt (Stockbridge)

Last league game of the season, an interesting away day to Plain Ham, Larkhall's elevated and picturesque ground.

Larkhall rested a few players, with their play-off semi looming on Tuesday, opponents undecided before the day's round of matches, but now known to be Evesham. All their team had played first team games this season though, and having been welcomed onto the pitch by a guard of honour from their youth team, played their part in an even and good tempered game. Was nice to see the relative absence of whingeing at and pressurising the ref, a tiresome trait so evident in the division this season.

The home side fashioned a couple of shooting chances which, looking the length of the pitch from the far end which was our first half vantage point, seemed as though they should have been taken more clinically, but ultimately ended up either over the bar or wide. For Sholing, Dan Mason hit the post with a well directed header, back across goal, from a decent cross by Marv, Barry had a goal disallowed, TJ worried the angle of the goal with a cross-shot, and Dan and Tobi had efforts from the edge of the box which flew over.

Sholing made two enforced changes for the start of the second half, Owen Roundell for Pete Castle, and Lewis Blackmore for Tobi, who had been struggling with a hamstring pull at the end of the first half. The even pattern of the game continued, with both sides creating the occasional chance / half-chance. Larkhall hit the post, and for Sholing, Barry and Dan were denied by the offside flag (perhaps dubiously) and TJ nearly headed in at the near post, being just denied by the defender. Just after very light rain descended, the referee blew the whistle to end a game with few stoppages or fouls, and everyone headed for the bar. FT 0-0

A decent team performance and that was probably what made it hard to try and pick a man of the match, so I won't attempt to. The star of the day was probably the coach driver, who had to negotiate the ups and downs of Bradford-on-Avon, and then the narrow lanes approaching the Larkhall ground, with a Larkhall pilot on board. We maintained our unbeaten record against Larkhall, and enjoyed the surroundings and the hospitality today.

Report by Richard Woollett

Photos by Greg Dickson & Micky Travers