A Nick Watts double was part of a 4-goal second half as Sholing brushed aside US Portsmouth to progress to the next round of the Hampshire senior cup with a 5-0 comfortable win at the Silverlake Arena.

Team News : Sholing made 3 changes to the team that narrowly lost to Chippenham on Saturday, Kevin Brewster was left out with a minor knee injury, he should return for the weekend, Dan Mason and Nick Watts drop to the bench. They were all replaced by Jude Nwachukwu, Tobi Adenkunle and Braiden Hamilton. Lewis Fennemore, Alex Baldacchino, Pete Castle and Barry Mason all remain out, Dan Miller was unavailable and Kane Crisp was rested. But there was good news for Sholing, as Jack Smith trained and returned to the bench from injury. New signing Sam Wilson was ineligible.

Sholing got the game underway in a nippy, floodlit Silverlake Arena but it was US Portsmouth who started the brightest, they had the first corner on the board in less than 2 minutes, but it was wasted as it sailed over all the heads in the area. But they were almost presented with the lead after some sloppy passing left the ball at the feet of Connor Duffin, but the Boatmen were given a reprieve as the number 7 produced a poor shot, which bounced harmelessly wide.

But despite the high US Portsmouth pressure it was Sholing who took the lead. Jude Nwachukwu was left very little to do after Marvin McLean found him from the right, Nwachukwu opened the goal up with a neat half turn before simply rolling the ball in to the far bottom right hand corner.

US Portsmouth continued to be frustrated, but only by themselves, Michael Dark did well to be a couple of Sholing men before his finish let him down and his tame effort was gratefully collected by Matt Brown. Sholing Then thought they should have had a penalty as goal-scorer Nwachukwu appeared to be pulled down inside the penalty area, but at the amazement of the home fans the assistant instead flagged for a foul on the attacker. Things were to get worse though for Sholing as right back TJ Cuthbertson was forced off the field after rolling his ankle while contending a ball in the air, he was replaced by Nick Watts, pushing Nwachukwu back into defence.

Nick Watts made a quick introduction, as his run into the box was picked out to put him one on one against the goalkeeper, but away keeper Peter Houkes got down low to deny the substitute. Less than 60 seconds later Watts had another try, but again Houkes was able to match his cheeky attempt again, by blocking the faint touch intended for the far side of the goal after Watts had again been picked out by McLean who had scampered up the right hand side.

Despite Mike Byrne being the second Sholing defender to be forced off through injury, giving Jack Smith his return from injury, the game really was now in Shoing’s favour and Braiden Hamilton was inches away from doubling their lead, but he fired narrowly over after juking a man inside the area once he’d being picked out by McLean. They got closer still as 2 driven low balls, first from McLean, then by Tobi Adenkunle somehow evaded everyone inside the area, when either ball just needed a touch to be rustling the net. HT 1-0

US Portsmouth started the second half, and had it not been for Taurean Manders they could have been on level terms, Rory Wood beat the offside trap and through unchallenged, but just as he was about to pull the trigger at a defenceless Matt Brown, Manders came sliding out of nowhere to make the block.

Then Sholing finally got their second, Nick Watts showed sublime reactions to volley home after the goalkeeper could only scoop Nwachukwu’s tight to the goal cross straight to Nick Watts, who made no mistake smashing home from 6 yards. Then two minutes later Nick Watts added his second and the teams third with a simple tap in after he was yet again found by Marvin McLean, in a smash and grab attack which only required three passes.

Sholing then showed no intention of letting up, and a series of corners and poor strikes broke up an otherwise scrappy affair that had turned into a real midfield battle, and just as US Portsmouth tried to break into the Sholing area for a decent chance, Sholing broke away, and Marvin McLean, who had been brilliant all evening, grabbed a goal of his own, neatly dinking the ball over the onrushing goalkeeper and kissing the near post on the way in after McLean had been released down the left by Byron Mason.

True to the earlier goals in the second half, Sholing had a fifth just 2 minutes later, Braiden Hamilton found himself with the second tap in of the game, placing the ball into the roof of the net after being found by 2 goal man Nick Watts.

What was missing? A captain’s goal. And Byron Mason was denied by the crossbar after he hammered the ball goal-wards after a long clearance from the Sholing defence, and the final whistle sounded with the crossbar still shaking. FT 5-0

After the game I spoke to new signing Sam Wilson, I asked if he was happy with his transfer “yes mate, very happy, a step up in league, with the chance to play more and score more goals”

Then I asked Dave Fear if he was happy about Wilson joining the squad “yes, he’s a good lad, ive know about him for a while, going through reserve football, he’s a goal-scorer and that what we need, so a good acquisition to the club”

Report by Ollie Maskell