Sholing Reserves 3-2 (AET) Hedge End Rangers

Marlon Mason 23, 70, Sam Jenman 99 / Kieran Hooper Robinson 28, Luke Faithfull 37

Southampton Senior Cup 3rd Round 15/11/16

SHOLING: Josh Helm, Jack Fisher (Tanaka TK Madzvamutse), Sam Gregory (Harry Butler), Sam Jenman, Jack Attrill; Harvey Craig, Jean-Luc Ramdin, Kristian Cozzolino, Luke Bergg; Joel Drew, Marlon Mason. Unused Subs: Joel Ghosh, Jack Barnes, Arron Whitmarsh

Yellow Card: Luke Bergg

HEDGE END RANGERS: Oliver Hurst, Hayden Foster, Aaron Cousens, Jack Coster, James Barnes; Stuart Venn, Kieran Hooper-Robinson, Michael Hadzidimitriou, Luke Faithfull, Dan Turner (Will Oakley), James Scott. Unused Subs: Chris Stephenson Eduardo Gonzalez

Yellow Card: James Scott.

Referee: Bruce Waymark  Assistant Referees: Jon Goodman & Tony Eade

Two goals from Marlon Mason and another from Sam Jenman ensured that Sholing’s development squad edged a tight Southampton Senior Cup match 3-2 at home to Hedge End Rangers first team. Luke Faithfull and Kieran Hooper Robinson made it uncomfortable for the hosts, who for periods found it tough against more experienced Hedge End.

The young Boatmen started brightly and almost immediately home keeper Oliver Hurst was called into action when Kristian Cozzolino’s rasping drive was tipped around the post. Kristian Cozzolino’s free-kick from the left was headed away at the back post, while Joel Drew’s corner was also header just over as the visitors initially struggled to get out of their half.

When they did on ten minutes, the dangerous Luke Faithfull raced clear of the Sholing defence but could only drag his shot wide from a good position, before Sam Gregory’s last-ditch tackle almost certainly denied Luke Faithfull a goal moments later.

Sholing took the lead on 23 minutes when Marlon Mason was released down the right channel, and the striker calmly rolled the ball past the onrushing Oliver Hurst. That galvanised the visitors and just over five minutes later they were level. James Scott’s mazy run left Sholing short at the back, and when his shot was saved by Josh Helm it fell right into the path of Kieran Hooper Robinson.

On 37 minutes the turnaround was complete as Luke Faithfull’s shot from outside the area squirmed through the unfortunate Sholing goalkeeper Josh Helm.

Joel Drew almost notched an immediate response for Sholing, although Hedge End hit the post shortly before half-time HT: 1-2

Sholing started the half by replacing Jack Fisher with Tanaka (TK) Madzvamutse. After 55 minutes a deflected Hedge End effort hit the crossbar, before Sam Gregory header wide from Kristian Cozzolino’s corner.

At the other end Jack Coster bundled his way through the Sholing defence but wildly lashed wide, but it then went wrong for the visitors. Out of nothing Sholing had a penalty on 70 minutes when Luke Bergg was adjudged to have been tripped by keeper Oliver Hurst, leaving Marlon Mason to smash the penalty down the middle and level the scores.

Aside from two Sam Jenman free-kicks, one that flew just wide while another was saved by Oliver Hurst, the match petered out into the looming extra-time.  FT: 2-2

Joel Drew had the first chance of extra-time as the young midfielder’s run ended with a shot the whistled wide of the target six minutes in. Substitute Tanaka Madzvamutse then had a pint-blank header blocked by Hedge End keeper Oliver Hurst two minutes into the second period. A minute later, Sholing were ahead as an almighty scramble in the Hedge Box was eventually poked in by Sam Jenman.

Hedge End rallied and were soon bombarding the Sholing defence with cross after cross and hit the bar once again, but despite a lot of pressure they couldn’t break the Boatmen defence down. FT AET 3-2

Report by Jack Prentice