Arundel 2-5 Sholing

Scorers : Tipper 2, Biggs 58 / Stuart Mott 26, Nick Watts 63 & 78, Sergio Caballero 64, Coby Wilson 77

Date : Saturday 2nd August 2014 - 3:00pm kick off - Pre-season Friendly

Arundel : 

Sholing : Brown, Nwachukwu, Smith, Brewster (C) (Wilson 63), Mott, Byrne, Watts, Sawyer (Caballero 57), Baldacchino, Mansell (Manders 53), Cox.

Referee :Michael Ryan

Attendance :

Sholing rounded off pre-season with a convincing win away to Sussex League side Arundel. With a few familiar faces not available today it was the chance for others and some new faces to stake a claim for the first competitive game of the season next Saturday at Shortwood United.

Sholing were caught cold in the first attack of the game as Mott accidently stepped on the ball, allowing a Arundel player to chip the ball over the stranded Matt Brown, it hit the post but Tipper was on hand to tap home. That certainly woke the Boatmen up as they went on to to dominate the first half.  Nick Watts, Alex Sawyer & Jude Nwachukwu were linking up well on the right, before Wattsie switched to the left and showed great pace time after time to work openings that we failed to capitalise on. Baldacchino twisted and turned in the box before working some space but shot just wide. Sholing eventually equalised when Kev Brewster swung in a freekick to the back stick and once again, Stuart Mott was on hand to head home. His 5th in pre-season. Arundel almost went back in front against the run of play but another chip over Matt Brown floated wide. Somehow despite all the Sholing pressure, it was level at the break.  HT 1-1

Second half started as the first had left off, the Boatmen pushing forward, working the ball well through the central midfield partnership of Brewster & Cox, however Arundel went back into the lead through an excellent finish. Biggs found space between the centre-halfs and from the edge of the box lifted his shot over Brown and in via the underside of the crossbar. It wasn't long until Sholing were level and then in front with two goals in as many minutes. Firstly Nick Watts' shot took a wicked deflection, wrong footing the keeper and then substitute Sergio Caballero finished well from a cross. It was all Sholing at this stage and the Arundel keeper pulled off a couple of good saves before another flurry of goals with Coby Wilson scoring via the far post, but the best was saved for last when man of the match, Nick Watts, ran down the left wing, cut in past a couple of defenders before finishing superbly from the edge of the area.  FT 2-5

With pre-season now over for the first team squad, Mick Marsh & Dave Fear almost have an embarrassment of riches from which to pick a team for our first League match of the season on Saturday.  The fitness of the squad looks good, new players have settled in quickly and many of the youngsters & fringe players from last season have impressed with some enthusiastic displays.  All in all, a very positive feeling around the club right now.

A word of thanks to Arundel FC for their warm hospitality today. All the best to them this season.

Photos by Ray Routledge & Diane Bruce : (Click a thumbnail to enlarge)