Arundel1-0Sholing

Scorers :  Tipper 10

Date : Saturday 25th July 2015 - 2pm kick off - Friendly

Arundel :Sam Marsden, Nathan Da Costa, Liam Da Costa, Joshua Biggs (Tom Hamilton 45), Simon Clarke, Alex Biggs (Rory Biggs 45), Ash Harper, Aaron Hooker-Meehan (Adam Bibb 65), Scott Tipper, Barney Boutwood, Brad Jordan (Ryan Peake 45)

Yellow Card :

Sholing : Ryan Gosney, Dean Faithfull, James Davis, Pete Castle, Dan Miller, Jamie Bulpitt (Lukas Sabo 65), Marvin McLean (Owen Roundell 46), Jack Smith, Dan Mason (Tobi Adekunle 45), Byron Mason, Lewis Kelly (Liam Golding 69)

Yellow Card : 

Attendance : 58 (10 Sholing Fans)

Man of the Match : Dan Miller

Referee : Marc Meeten  Assistants: Andrew Hinton & Chris Porter

The 4th pre-season match for the Boatmen was again on the road to the idyllic setting of Arundel below the backdrop of Arundel Castle. Once again there were a few enforced changes following the midweek win at Gosport. Missing still was Dan Dove, Rory Anderson & Kevin Brewster with injuries. Those unavailble due to holidays were Barry Mason, Alex Sawyer, Mike Spinney & Jack Shiner. Lukas Sabo returned to the squad along with the first appearance of the season for Marvin McLean.

Arundel kicked off amid an overcast sky Simon Clarke was penalised inside thirty seconds for handball, Jamie Bulpitt took the free kick but Arundel’s defence dealt with the kick easily. Arundel’s early attacks were to get the ball out wide and use their pace down the flanks testing the Sholing full backs. A slip by Jamie Bulpitt allowed Barney Boutwood to shot from distance but James Davis deflected his effort away for a corner. Boutwood had another long range shot which was deflected through to Ryan Gosney. A Dean Faithfull throw in found Jamie Bulpitt who set up Lewis Kelly who hit the ball from outside the area but his effort deflected off Dan Mason.

Arundel again were keen to hit early long range shots and Scott Tipper’s effort was comfortable for Ryan Gosney. The opening eight minutes was end to end and Marvin McLean out wide on the right was slowly getting into the game. Interplay between Jack Smith and Byron Mason set Marvin away on the right and it looked like the old magic had returned as he left the full back for dead but he over hit his cross for the oncoming forwards. Again good work between Dan Mason and Marvin McLean set up Jack Smith but his curling effort was easily dealt with by seventeen year old keeper Sam Marsden. Arron Hooker-Meehan bore down on the Sholing goal and a misunderstanding between Jamie Bulpitt and Ryan Gosney allowed centre forward Scott Tipper to tap the ball in on ten minutes.

Sholing pressed for an equalizer and won a series of corners that kept Jamie Bulpitt busy taking consecutive corners from either side. Again keeper Sam Marsden had to be alert when James Davis hit a long ball over the defence for Jamie Bulpitt to run on too but quick thinking from Marsden meant he had to head the ball away from outside his area. At the other end there was a scare when Pete Castle put the ball back to Ryan Gosney the ball bobbled and he had to recover from the advancing forward and cleared the ball for a corner which he collected the corner easily. Byron Mason should have levelled when he robbed an Arundel player and was clean through on goal. Byron shaped to guide the ball past the keeper, but it lacked the pace needed and the keeper pushed it past the post. Sholing continued to press for the equaliser Dan Miller’s header was cleared off the line at the near post.

Lewis Kelly found Marvin McLean who twisted and turned the defence only to see young keeper Sam Marsden kick the ball away for a corner. Once again Marsden was using every part of his body to deny Sholing, Dean Faithfull and Byron Mason worked the ball well to Marvin McLean whose shot was again saved by the foot of Marsden on forty three minutes. HT 1-0

Dave Diaper made a change replacing Dan Mason with Tobi Adekunle. Tobi took up position on the left with Lewis Kelly reverting to the centre. With three minutes into the half Lewis Kelly has his shot deflected wide.  Jack Smith’s challenge left Tom Hamilton holding his wrist from the awkward fall he took. On sixty one minutes a tactical change Lewis Kelly was replaced by Owen Roundell who went to partner Dan Miller with Pete Castle moving upfront. Four minutes later Marvin McLean’s running was done for the day and was replaced by Lukas Sabo. 

Another corner won by Byron Mason was taken by Tobi Adekunle and his inswinging ball found Owen Roundell and got his head to the ball and found Byron Mason who headed the ball wide. On sixty nine minutes Dave Diaper made his final change taking off Jamie Bulpitt and replacing him with Liam Golding. James Davis moved into midfield with Liam Golding slotting in at left back.

On seventy seven minutes a scare in the Sholing camp as Dan Miller needed treatment following a challenge from the Arundel defender but thankfully he recovered. On Eighty minutes another chance went begging when Ryan Gosney’s long ball found Byron Mason who crossed for James Davis whose shot was blocked with Pete Castle unmarked on the back post. Then Dan Miller sees his effort hacked clear near the line.  With the clock ticking down, Tobi Adekunle’s corner finds Dan Miller who heads the ball back but skipper Byron Mason sees his header hit the bar.   FT 1-0

Photos by Ray Routledge (click an image to enlarge)