Sholing3 1Lymington

Scorers :  Alex Sawyer 30, Dan Mason 48 (pen) 57  /  Flynn Begley 69

Date : Friday 26th August 2016 - 7:45pm - Sydenhams Wessex Premier

Sholing: Ryan Gosney, Owen Royl, Marvin McLean, Owen Roundell, Pete Castle (Dan Miller 60), Alex Sawyer (Sam Jenman 84), Barry Mason, Byron Mason [C], Dan Mason, Zac Mouland (Marlon Mason 79), Jamie Bulpitt.  Unused Subs: Marc Diaper, Jordan Brooks

Yellow Card : Byron Mason

Lymington Town: Nic Jones, Tom Man, Ben Sullivan, Ryan Fuller (Callum Davies 60), Carlo Fate, Scott Chester, Harry Hawkins, Pearce Farron [C], Flynn Begley, Sam House, Charlie Willett (Dudley Mason 65) Unused Subs: Bradley Woodham

Yellow Card : Tom Man, Ben Sullivan

Attendance : 126

Man of the Match : Alex Sawyer

Referee: Ethan Davis  Assistants: Paul Hicks & Rob Linter

Sholing climbed to third in the league as the Boatmen continue their 100% win record at home this season with a comfortable win against Lymington

Team News: Zac Glasspool & Jack Smith watched from the sidelines still not recovered from their injuries. A host of players were missing due to holidays; Kevin Brewster, Jake Hoole, Nick Yeomans, Kieran Winman & Jack Attrill

Lymington got us underway in this Wessex League Premier tie on a warm summers evening at the Universal Stadium.

The first half saw Sholing dominate most of the proceedings, especially during the opening stages. The first clear chance should have put the hosts into lead. Following a corner won when Gosney lofted a ball deep into the Lymington box from a free kick. Pete Castle’s header flicked off the Lymington defender out for a corner. The chance then fell to Castle as he sweetly connected to the ball which flew just wide.

Sholing were still pushing for an early lead and it almost came once again when Barry Mason played a perfectly timed one-two with youngster, Owen Royl, which gave Mason the space to fizz in a fast paced ball across goal. The ball then pin balled between Zac Mouland and Lymington defenders in the six yard box but Jones in the Lymington goal managed to pounce on it before it could cross the line.

Lymington were struggling with the onslaught of pressure Sholing were applying as the Boatmen won a few corners. The next clear cut chance came from one of those corners. Jamie Bulpitt returned the ball after the corner was hit too deep. The ball then fell to Dan Mason who fired the ball over from close range after controlling well.

From this Sholing chance Lymington grew back into the half by winning a few corners themselves. However, neither set plays troubled the Sholing back line.

Both sides were struggling to make the ball stick up top and that showed in the next few chances. Alex Sawyer struck a low driving shot towards goal from the edge of the box. It looked destined to nestle in the bottom corner but a terrific low dive to his right saw Jones tip the ball round the post. Sholing corner. Unfortunately for the Boatmen the corner came to nothing. Lymington’s captain Pearce Farren then found himself in space just inside the Sholing half. He tried a speculative effort from that position which looped just over the crossbar, Gosney had it covered nonetheless

The next clear cut chance fell to Sholing as some nice interlinking play between Zac Mouland and Barry Mason, sent Mason down the right hand side. He looped a ball into the box which found brother Dan. He swivelled on the ball and just as he took the shot a fantastic tackle from Ryan Fuller prevents the shot flying towards Jones in goal. Fuller stays on the ground after picking up a knock in the process.

After a 5 minute stoppage in play, so Fuller could gain treatment, Sholing went straight on the offensive and this paid off. A ball over the top found Dan Mason who brings the ball down into his path and bears down on goal. He slams the ball towards goal, Jones does well to deflect onto the near the post where it pinged back into play and into the path of the onrushing ALEX SAWYER to smash it home from 5 yards on 30 minutes.

A rare mistake by from Marvin McLean almost allowed Lymington to grab an undeserved equaliser for the visitors when his soft back pass was almost latched onto by Flynn Begley, but Gosney was on his toes to reach the ball and clear before the Lymington striker could get a shot off.

This gave Lymington a confidence boost as they again almost grabbed an equaliser prior to the half time whistle. Charlie Willett played through Begley again as he found space between the two centre back but his first touch sent himself wider than he would have wanted and fired the ball straight as Gosney. HT 1-0

Sholing started the second half as they started the first, on top and looking for an early goal. The second goal came almost immediately from the re-start as the ball was cleared off the line twice. Mouland read the bounce of the ball better than Man as the ball bounced over Man and into Mouland path. This allowed him to drive down the left hand side and whip the ball in deep to Barry Mason. He fired his shot past Jones but the ball was scuffed off the line. The ball then fell to captain and brother Byron Mason who looked to place his shot into the net. The ball once again went past Jones but Fuller was there again but this time connected with the ball better and prevented the Boatmen doubling their advantage.

Sholing could sense a second goal was coming and they were handed a great chance to get it when Dan Mason was  pulled back by Ben Sullivan in the box. As Mason was trying to bring the ball under his control, Sullivan had hold of him and the linesman waved for a penalty. DAN MASON himself stepped up to try and outwit Jones, and he truly did that by sending the Lymington ‘keeper the wrong way by slotting the ball into the bottom right of the net. Sholing doubling their advantage on the 48th minute.

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Sholing were in full swing and they almost added another moments after. Jones tipped the ball over the bar as Dan Mason headed the ball at the back post after Bulpitt had picked him out with a great ball in.

Jones was by far the busiest of the goalkeepers during the opening quarter of the second half and it was Jones who was called into action once again as Dan Mason forced an acrobatic save from him. Alex Sawyer’s shot was blocked and the ball spun into the air, Mason then struck it forcing the fantastic save, preventing Sholing from grabbing their third.

Sholing then thought they had grabbed their third when Bulpitt played the ball in which found Alex Sawyer inside the box. His shot across goal found Barry Mason who tapped the ball in from close range. However, the linesman’s flag was raised and the goal did not stand.

Sholing where swarming all over the visitors and got a deserved third on 57 minutes. Alex Sawyer whipped a great ball into the far post where Jamie Bulpitt headed powerfully at Jones who could only parry into the path of DAN MASON who stretched to poke the ball into an empty net.

From this point Sholing were happy to sit on their impressive lead and attack when needs be. As a result Lymington grabbed a goal back against the run of play. Lymington won a corner which Sullivan swung in. The ball found Flynn Begley whose header flew past Gosney.

Sholing were still the side on top and applying pressure. The hosts created a few half chances but nothing which would trouble Jones. The match then entered a stage of sitting deep and looking to play through balls in behind. This seemed the tactic from both sides. However, more often than not both sides found their strikers offside.

A moment of note came on the 79th minute when Marlon Mason, cousin to the three brothers, entered the field. This meant that Sholing had four Mason’s on the field for the first time!

Alex Sawyer forced a good save from Jones as he found clear space on the right side of the box and fired across goal in what was Sholing’s last clear chance of the match.

Deep into injury time and with the game looking all but over, Lymington played a lofted ball into the box, where the referee believed Dan Miller bundled Begley to the ground and awarded the visitors a penalty. Ben Sullivan stepped up to take the spot kick. He struck the ball down the middle but Gosney saved with his legs as he dived to his left. The ball fell away from the oncoming Lymington players and Sholing cleared. This summed up a miserable game for Lymington’s number 3. Sullivan & Byron Mason both received cautions with the game petering out.

The full-time whistle blew and Sholing grabbed a much deserved three points to maintain their unbeaten home record with a good all round team performance. FT 3-1

Match Report by Sam Cox

Next Game : Sholing v Alresford Town - Tuesday 7:45pm

Photos by Charles Patrick (click an image to enlarge) - Please do not reproduce his images without permission