Scorers :  Dan Miller 67   /   Jimmy Cuthbert 18

Date : Friday 2nd October 2015 - 7:45pm kick off - FA Vase Second Round Qualifying

Sholing : Ryan Gosney, Kevin Brewster, Jack Smith, Dean Faithfull, Dan Miller, Jamie Bulpitt, Marv McLean, Alex Sawyer (Dan Dove 59), Lewis Kelly (Tobi Adekunle 56), Byron Mason [c], James Davis (Owen Roundell 116).  Subs Not Used: Dan Mason, Jordan Brooks

Yellow Card :  Dan Dove, Tobi Adekunle

United Services Portsmouth : Peter Houkes [c], Danny Sharratt, Matt Magro, Fraser Clark, Rich Warwick, Sean Snelling (Simon Jones 79), James Rulph (Harry Bass 98), Jimmy Cuthbert, Pete Lines (Mark Christie 82), Mark Robinson, Mike Silvanus.  Subs Not Used : Tom Price, Dave Gleeson

Yellow Card :  Peter Houkes

Attendance : 101

Man of the Match : Marv McLean

Referee : Brian Channing  Assistants: Neil Harrison & Adam Baker

SHOLING returned to FA Vase action, playing their first match in the competition since lifting the trophy at Wembley in 2014, but failed to progress tonight and will now face a replay with US Portsmouth following a 1-1 draw.

Team News: Dan Mason pulled up during the warm-up, so wasn't risked, with Lewis Kelly taking the lone striker role.

The game was also the first since the sad passing of Mick Cunningham, who recently photographed the Salisbury game and was on the committee at Verwood Town.  Both sides, and the 101 fans at the Silverlake Arena perfectly observed a minutes silence.

However the game itself also started in a similarly quiet vein, with very little action until the 18th minute. Ryan Gosney was called into action to smartly punch a powerful show from outside the area out for a corner. However the following Matt Magro corner drew Gosney into a crowded box allowing Jimmy Cuthbert to head Pompey into a surprise lead.

The visitors sit third in the division below Sholing, but the Boatmen, fresh from their 7-1 thrashing of Alresford struggled to get a foothold in the game. They were almost gifted an opportunity for an equaliser though, when Danny Sharratt failed to deal with a bouncing ball, electing instead to stoop and head it back to his ‘keeper. This allowed the lively Lewis Kelly to nip in behind, but the striker just failed to get enough on the ball to take it around the stranded Peter Houkes.

Sholing were unlucky to go into half-time behind, a succession of right-wing crosses kept Pompey under great pressure, including another Kelly strike that was cleared off the line. And when Marvin McLean was expertly played through on goal, he unselfishly decided to square the ball to Kelly in the centre, this time however Sharratt made no mistake with the clearance. HT 0-1

The game changing moment for Sholing was the introduction of Dan Dove on the hour mark, the number 15 provided the spark from midfield that allowed Sholing to pick the tricky lock of Portsmouth.

By this point Boatmen boss Dave Diaper had also pushed giant centre-back Dan Miller up the pitch, the signs were ominous for Pompey when a barrage of crosses came close to finding the target-man. The defender acrobatically sent a volley wide, before last weekends brace hero Byron Mason saw a header saved.

But with 20 minutes to go DAN MILLER made no mistake to powerfully head home Jamie Bulpitt's left wing cross, despite Pompeys protesting that the ball had gone out of play. With the goal standing, Sholing then struggled to make the most of several free-kicks and corners despite Kevin Brewster quality deliveries. FT 1-1

Under FA Vase rules, the game went into extra-time and it was Pompey who came closest to nicking the tie, Matt Magro continuing his overlapping run and his cross-cum-shot venomously struck the near post.  The nearest Sholing came was a hooked shot by Byron Mason, that the keeper did well to tip over the bar.

The two sides had agreed before the game to go a reply should there be no clear winner in 120 minutes, and the sides will now meet on Monday night at the United Services Recreation Ground.  FT (AET) 1-1

Report by Ollie Harvey

View from the Stands:  Not a great advert for non-league football and Sholing looked surprisingly sluggish after a run of good results.  US Portsmouth were well organised and energetic and thoroughly deserved to take the game to a replay.  It gives the Boatmen the chance for a second bite at the cherry to improve upon this performance and hopefully take us through to the next round.  As we know better than most, Cup runs can grow out of struggling through in the early rounds.  But as we saw tonight, the opposition will be more than up for it on Monday.

Next home game is on Wednesday against Bournemouth Poppies, 7:45pm