Whitchurch1 0Sholing

Scorer : Jamie Mansell 62

Date : Saturday 11th March 2017 - 3pm - Sydenhams Wessex Premier

Venue : Longmeadow

Whitchurch United : Ellis Grant, Corey Cherrett, Will Gange, Scott Hassell, Sam McCarthy [c], Gary Bagley (Jack Breed 6), Declan McCarthy, Alfie Lis, Luke Walker, Jamie Mansell, Danny Phillips (Jack Ormiston 80). Unused Subs: Damien Hack & Tyler Lewis

Yellow Card : Will Gange

Sholing : Jordan Brooks, Jean-Luc Ramdin, Owen Roundell, Kieran Winman (Dan Miller 57), Terry (TJ) Cuthbertson, Kevin Brewster [c] (Micky Hubbard 72), Zac Mouland, Alex Sawyer, Dan Mason, Nick Yeomans (Marlon Mason 57), Owen Royl. Unused Subs: Marc Diaper & Jamie Bray

Yellow Card : Owen Roundell, TJ Cuthbertson, Micky Hubbard

Attendance : 51 (approx 25 Sholing fans)

Man of the Match : TJ Cuthbertson

Referee : Martin Batchelor  Assistants : John Foster & Liam Twigg

Sholing felt the effects of their epic Semi Final win 41 hours earlier with only three players from that side able to start today. Injuries and fatigue meant six players were unavailable and the other two players dropped to the bench. Whitchurch had four ex Sholing players in their line up, including newly signed Jamie Mansell & Corey Cherrett.

Whitchurch won two early free kicks in the opening exchanges and it was Declan McCarthy creating the first danger when his free kick was headed away for a corner by Dan Mason.

Sholing had their first chance on four minutes when Owen Roundell’s header picked out Dan Mason and he in turn found Nick Yeomans but the young striker fires his shot wide. Two minutes later Jordan Brooks' long kick found Dan Mason and a slip by the Whitchurch defender allowed him to again find Nick Yeomans, but his effort was the same result as his first attempt.

Dan Mason drove to the by line and squared the ball into the path of Zac Mouland and keeper Ellis Grant claimed he had been fouled by Zac Mouland when trying to collect the ball. Once again, it was a long lecture to both players however, as Ray's photo below shows, Grant seemingly had no control of the ball, which was behind him and Zac was entitled to go for it. 

A minute later Whitchurch were denied from taking the lead when Jamie Mansell saw his effort smack the Sholing crossbar.  With thirty six minutes gone Whitchurch had another chance to break the deadlock from a corner and Dan Mason heads the ball clear but Jamie Mansell gets a head in and sees his header go wide of Jordan Brook’s goal. Ex-Boatmen Jamie Mansell was proving a thorn in Sholing’s side, when in space he bore down on Jordan Brook’s goal, but the keeper stood strong and saved the shot with his chest.

With the clock ticking down to halftime Sholing created a couple of half chances, but in keeping with their general play in the half, there was little threat to the keeper. HT 0-0

Sholing started the second half brightly and link up play between Owen Roundell and Dan Mason finds Alex Sawyer but the midfielder shots wide. Seven minutes in Jean-Luc Ramdin links up with Alex Sawyer who finds Dan Mason and he feeds Nick Yeomans who shot is very well saved by Grant from point blank range.

Two minutes later Sholing lay siege to the Whitchurch goal and a Kevin Brewster corner picks out TJ Cuthbertson but the defender heads over the bar. Then Alex Sawyer can’t get his shot away quick enough as the ball holds up on the tacky surface and he sees his eventual effort saved by the keeper.

Dave Diaper makes his first change when Dan Miller replaces Kieran Winman. The change meant a change for the back four with Jean-Luc Ramdin switches to Left Back and TJ Cuthbertson to Right Back with Owen Roundell slotting in alongside Dan Miller. Sixty seconds later Marlon Mason replaces Nick Yeomans.

On sixty two minutes Marlon Mason wins a corner Kevin Brewster finds Dan Miller and the ball falls to Zac Mouland then Alex Sawyer who both have trouble getting the ball under control to get off a meaningful shot and the ball is once again in the arms of the Whitchurch keeper.   Grant then punts a long ball into the left channel which finds Walker in space in behind and as Brooks comes out to narrow the angle he squares to "Square" Jamie Mansell who slots in.

Despite there being more than 20 minutes remaining, Sholing were not able to fashion a decent chance for an equaliser, with Whitchurch defending well, Corey impressing at right back and deservedly claimed all the points as the Boatmen lose for the first time in nine games. FT 1-0

Report by Greg Dickson

Next Home Game : Sholing v Moneyfields - Tuesday 7:45pm - Wessex Premier

Photos by Ray Routledge (click an image to enlarge, not to be reproduced without permission)