Scorers :  Dan Miller 21, Sabo 60

Date : Saturday 18 July 2015 - 3:00pm kick off - Friendly

Cove FC : Miles Wood, Charlie Wilder (Luke Edmondson 66), Jordan Stepney, Sam Collett, Matthew Niven (Pegs Berlo 45), Luke Bersey, Drew Matthews, Cyril Ocansey, Lennox Phillips, Sean Latimer, Gary Brown (Sam Lynam 45)

Red Card : Cyril Ocansey

Sholing : Rory Anderson (Ryan Gosney 23), Kevin Brewster, James Davis, Owen Roundell, Dan Miller, Dan Dove (Liam Golding 45), Tobi Adekunle, Alex Sawyer, Dan Mason (Lukas Sabo 45), Byron Mason, Lewis Kelly (Mike Spinney 59)

Yellow Card : 

Attendance : 32 (15 Sholing Fans)

Man of the Match : Byron Mason

Referee : Craig Green  Assistants: Nathan Cook, Alan Haynes

The 2^nd pre-season match was a trip to Cove on a hot day played on a rock hard dusty pitch. A few changes were enforced following last week’s win at Liss. Missing were Jack Shiner, Jack Smith, Barry Mason Les Mwenze & Dean Faithfull. Pete Castle & Jordan Brooks were rested but travelled. Rory Anderson & Kevin Brewster started along with Owen Roundell.

Cove started the match a little like Liss last week at a rapid pace probably trying to impress their new manager following the major changes following players and manager exodus to Hartney Whitney FC. Their early charge saw their first effort fly high and wide. Then a shot from Lennox Phillips saw his shot spilled by Rory Anderson but he gathered the ball at the second attempt. Cove appeared to be passionate about the game however a number of challenges were made in an overzealous manner. This resulted in a stern lecture for Sam Collett from referee Craig Green following a tackle on James Davis after eight minutes. On ten minutes following another foul this time on skipper Byron Mason, Kevin Brewster lined up the free kick from twenty five yards and his effort shaved the top off the upright. Four minutes later it was Sam Collett who needed treatment following a challenge.

On eighteen minutes Sholing felt they had deserved lead when Dan Mason had beat the offside trap found Lewis Kelly who slotted the ball home only for the assistant to rule out the goal. Two minutes later a slip by Owen Roundell allowed Lennox Phillips in who rounded Rory Anderson but his toe-poked shot, slowly hit the post and no one was following up to tap the ball into the empty net and the Sholing defence were able to clear the ball away.

Sixty seconds later the deadlock was broken when Sholing won a corner Kevin Brewster tried to find the head of Dan Mason the ball fell into the path of centre back DAN MILLER who sweetly hit a first time right footed shot that cannoned off bodies on the line and into the net. Lennox Phillips continued to be a thorn in Sholing’s defence and again found himself one on one with Rory Anderson. Lennox Phillips had his shot save by Rory Anderson and his follow up he hit over the bar and it resulted in a collision with them both needed treatment. Rory Anderson had to be replaced on twenty three minutes by Ryan Gosney with an injured wrist. Sholing continued to press for a second goal and won successive corner’s, Tobi Adekunle linked with Alex Sawyer and resulted in Lewis Kelly having his shot blocked for another corner.

Tobi Adekunle was penalised for a foul on Sean Latimer on halfway a quickly taken free kick stretched Sholing and defender Owen Roundell went to ground inside the penalty area and referee Green awarded the penalty in favour of Lennox Phillips. Lennox Phillips lined up the spot kick and sent the ball just to his right Ryan Gosney went to his right (away from the ball) but reacted with his left hand and was able to palm the ball over the bar to keep Sholing’s lead of thirteen minutes intact.

On the hard surface with an uneven bounce some hard challenges were being made and normally would result in cautions in league were going unpunished. Closing in on halftime Lewis Kelly was once again penalised for being adjudged fractionally offside. Dan Dove was left prone on the pitch following a tackle from behind the referee decided to call a halt to proceedings and Dan Dove left the field being carried off by Ryan Gosney and Byron Mason.  HT 0-1

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At the start of 2^nd half Dave Diaper made two changes one enforced with the injury to Dan Dove, trialist Slovakian Lukas Sabo replaced Dan Mason and Liam Golding replaced Dan Dove. Liam Golding slotted into right back with Kevin Brewster reverting to midfield and Lukas Sabo supporting the attack. Cove also made two changes bringing on Pegs Berlo and Sam Lynam.

The early action saw a foul on Liam Golding but Kevin Brewster wasted the quick free kick. Lewis Kelly and Lukas Sabo quickly established a rapport and interchanged passes well. On fifty minutes Alex Sawyer’s cross found Byron Mason but he headed just over the bar. Dan Miller also saw his header cleared by the Cove defence. Cove were never out of the game and Cyril Ocansey was clearly getting frustrated with his own efforts and they were increased when Ryan Gosney denied him a goal.

A minute later a nice move saw Sholing double our lead. Tobi Adekunle found space down the left wing and his cross into the middle was met by the head of skipper Byron Mason, who flicked the ball behind him to trialist LUKAS SABO, was on hand to take a touch past the keeper and slide the ball in from a narrow angle.  Sholing were denied a third goal with Kevin Brewster’s dipping 25 yard shot being saved by keeper Miles Wood. The Boatmen were now growing in momentum and a long ball from Byron Mason just failed to pick out Lukas Sabo.

Cove full back Jordan Stepney left his studs in on Kevin Brewster’s ankle leaving his prostrate in front of the dugout and he came off immediately leaving Sholing with ten men for the remainder off the game. Three minutes later tempers finally boiled over on halfway with Alex Sawyer and Cyril Ocansey on the ground, Ocansey kicked out at Alex Sawyer resulting in players from both sides getting involved. Once the dust had settled and following the intervention of his assistant, referee Green showed Ocansey a straight red and the match restarted with a free kick to Sholing.

Despite the sending off challenges were still being hard fought. On seventy four minutes Mike Spinney was fouled outside the area but with Kevin Brewster off the field, Alex Sawyer took the kick and he found Mike Spinney in space inside the area but his header was steered just wide of the post. With the temperature being very hot tempers were still high and Tobi Adekunle reacted to a challenge and had to be restrained. As the game drifted towards stoppage time James Davis was penalised for a foul on Luke Bersey. Also Alex Sawyer was penalised for a heavy challenge the referee brought the game to an end following this however a few Cove players still wanted retribution on Alex Sawyer with angry words being exchange at the dugout as he left the field off play.  FT 0-2

Photos by Ray Routledge (click an image to enlarge)

• Who said Dan Miller was too pretty to be a centreback?! Who said Dan Miller was too pretty to be a centreback?!
• Byron Byron
• and Dan Miller scores and Dan Miller scores
• Fine goal from the big man Fine goal from the big man
• Dan wheels away Dan wheels away
• back chat back chat
• Ryan Gosney saves a penalty Ryan Gosney saves a penalty
• Ultra helping hand Ultra helping hand
• The Management The Management
• Byron Byron
• Sholing's second goal Sholing's second goal
• Red card for Cove No. 9 Red card for Cove No. 9
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