Portchester0 2Sholing

Scorers :  Lee Wort (pen) 88,  Nick Yeomans 90

Date : Tuesday 6th December 2016 - 7:45pm - Hampshire FA Senior Cup 3rd Round

Venue : Blanchard Wells Stadium

AFC Portchester: Cameron Scott, Rob Evans, Gary Moody, Josh Warren, Tom Cain, Miles Everett (Luke Sweeney 64), Joe Bye [c], Nathan Kirby, Alex Baldachinno, Curt Robbins, George Wells. Subs not used: Tom Frogatt, Daniel Murkerjee, James Clarke, Tony Easter

Yellow Card:

Sholing: Ryan Gosney, Kieran Winman (Nick Yeomans 77), Marv McLean, Owen Roundell, Dan Miller, Alex Sawyer, Barry Mason, Byron Mason [c], Lee Wort, Zac Mouland, Jamie Bulpitt.  Subs not used: Jake Hoole, Josh Milsom, Owen Royl, Jordan Brooks

Yellow Card:

Attendance : 71 (15 Sholing fans)

Man of the Match : Whole Team

Referee: Colman O’Meara  Assistants: Guy Poynter & Michael Ridge

Sholing scored two late goals in a very hard fought game to go through to the Quarter Finals of the Hampshire Cup.  It was the first time Portchester had tasted defeat for 16 matches and extended Sholing's own unbeaten run to 9 games. Was also the Boatmen's 15th clean sheet of the season and probably the hardest earned.

Team News : Leading scorer, Dan Mason, missed out through a shoulder injury and Corey Cherrett was cup-tied, but Byron Mason returned from suspension. Kieran Winman slotted in at right back.

PortchesterHantsCup1

Both sides started cautiously, with goalkeepers Ryan Gosney and Cameron Scott spectators for the opening 15 minutes as most of the play was confined to the midfield.  Despite little being created, it was still enthralling to watch as two strong, well matched sides went at it with no quarter given.

It was Portchester who were first to threaten, with a Rob Evans cross being headed narrowly wide by former Sholing forward, Alex Baldachinno. Sholing then came up the field with captain Byron Mason having the away side's first shot, but it was well wide.

Byron Mason continued to try to make things happen and only a last minute interception stopped him from playing Zac Mouland through on goal. Sholing then had Gosney to thank when he did very well to save Curt Robbins effort after the defence had been carved open. His defenders then returned the favour as Gary Moody’s goal bound free kick was blocked.

Sholing then started to get their attacking game going when the Mason brothers combined from a set piece with Barry’s free kick being headed goalwards by Byron. His header was just too close to Scott who held well. Good interchanging of passing from Sholing then saw Lee Wort almost play through Jamie Bulpitt with a smart ball, but it was just too far in front of the midfielder.

PortchesterHantsCup2

The home side came back into it though with two big chances. Firstly George Wells broke away down the left before lashing an effort wide with the whole goal to aim at.  The ever tricky, Alex Baldachinno, then dribbled into the box and his effort toward the near post was deflected onto the upright by the sprawling legs of Gosney.

Sholing almost went into the break in front when Barry Mason worked a good position and drilled the ball across the box. It took a deflection off a defender just yards away from the goal and bounced towards the net before Scott somehow clawed it away despite being wrong-footed. HT 0-0

From the restart, Gosney had to be alert to smother a deflected cross at his near post before Gary Moody hit a tame shot wide.  Zac Mouland tried to make things happen when he got away from his defender, but his eventual shot didn’t trouble the keeper. AFC Portchester appealed in vain for a penalty, although it didn't stop them appealing for most things as they appeared to get increasingly frustrated they couldn't break Sholing down.

Portchester substitute, Sweeney, did have a good opportunity, but could only fire over when set up by a smart cutback.

PortchesterHantsCup4

The longer the game went on, the stronger Sholing appeared to get, both with possession and fitness.  Barry Mason's corners were troubling the home team with his inswingers landing inside the 6 yard box and being scrambled clear.  On 77 minutes, Dave Diaper showed his attacking intent when he replaced Winman with Nick Yeomans, with Alex Sawyer going to right back.   Barry Mason almost scored direct from a corner a minute later, but the keeper did well to claw it out from under his crossbar.

Some good play down the right wing saw Zac Mouland put clear into the channel and his excellent cross into the 6 yard box was met by the arriving Yeomans, but under pressure the ball shot over the bar.

Portchester's attacks were being snuffed out by strong defending and the home side's passing got increasingly sloppy as we entered the final 10 minutes of the match.  As penalties loomed to decide the cup tie, in the 86th minute, Sholing were awarded one!  The ball had pinged around the Portchester box and as Byron Mason stooped to nod the ball he received a high boot to the face and the ref pointed to the spot.  There was a delay of two minutes as the skipper received attention, but LEE WORT showed no nerves as he sent the keeper the wrong way for his 8th goal in 9 appearances.  Byron Mason returned to the action with his forehead bandaged.

{youtube}1_7MBu5g6pI{/youtube}

AFC Portchester looked like that didn't have anything left in the tank to grab an equaliser and when they presented Sholing with a counter attacking opportunity in the 90th minute, the Boatmen took it. NICK YEOMANS was put clear by Jamie Bulpitt and calmly slotted the ball past the advancing keeper and in off the far post.   FT 0-2

Report by Reece Peacham

PortchesterHantsCup5

It rounded off an excellent all round performance by Sholing against very good opposition. Impossible to single out one player as Man of the Match, and as Dave Diaper said afterwards : "Great shift put in by ALL the players tonight.  Game could have gone either way, but I felt we just edged it on our 2nd half performance.  We march on!"

Sholing now go into the hat for the Quarter Finals alongside, Gosport Borough, AFC Bournemouth Development Squad, AFC Totton, AFC Stoneham, Winchester City, Hartley Wintney and Basingstoke Town.

Next Game :  Newport IoW v Sholing - Saturday 10th December 3pm - Wessex Prem
Next Home Game : Sholing v Bemerton Heath - Saturday 17th December 3pm - Wessex Prem

PortchesterHantsCup3