Scorers :  Jamie Bulpitt 28 & 55, Dan Miller 53, Bradey Norton 60

Date : Tuesday 23rd August 2017 - 7:45pm - Hampshire Senior Cup 1st Round

Venue : Universal Stadium

Sholing : Ryan Gosney, TJ Cuthbertson, Owen Royl, Owen Roundell, Dan Miller, Micky Hubbard, Jean-Luc Ramdin, Byron Mason [c] (Marv McLean 56), Dan Mason (Lee Wort 70), Bradey Norton (Connor Kelly 68), Jamie Bulpitt.  Subs not used : Alex Sawyer & Barry Mason

Yellow Card : Micky Hubbard & TJ Cuthbertson

Whitchurch United : Josh Cotton, Josh Chandler, Sam Chandler, Taurean Manders [c], Jordan Mooney, Robbie Henderson, Corey Cherrett, Callum Williams, David Panter, Nick Yeomans, Jack Ormiston.  Subs : Craig Rutledge, Sam Jordan, Will Gange, Charlie Canes, Damian Hack

Yellow Card :

Attendance : 100

Man of the Match : Jamie Bulpitt

Referee : John Foster   Assistants : Harry Redman & Kieran Forest

Sholing advanced in the Hampshire Senior Cup with a lively display that created many scoring chances. The scoreline could have been bigger if it wasn't for the woodwork being struck 5 times as well the young Whitchurch goalie, keeping the Boatmen at bay.

Team News : Byron returned from injury to captain the side, whilst Jean-Luc Ramdin was given a start on the right of midfield after impressing from the subs bench on Friday.

Sholing almost scored inside 5 minutes as Dan Miller ghosted in to meet a cross from the flank, but Josh Cotton in goal smothered his flicked effort at close range.  Byron Mason was the first Boatmen to hit the woodwork, when on 10 minutes his header from the corner thumped off the crossbar and over.  Jean-Luc was showing good pace down the right wing and he met a left wing cross by Royl, but could only divert the ball into the arms of Cotton.

Deadlock was broken on 28 minutes as Dan Mason burst through the middle, but as he was challenged the ball deflected high up into the sky, over the keeper and down onto the bar and rebounded into the path of JAMIE BULPITT who rifled a shot from 12 yards into the far corner.

Apart from a couple of shots from long range that didn't trouble Gosney, the visitors spent most the half on the back foot and on 36 mins, Bradey Norton probably thought he scored as he connected with a low cross into the 6 yard box, but the ball was parried by Cotton onto the post and it bounced back into his arms.  It was a similar story 2 minutes later as Jean-Luc was sent clear, he unleashed a powerful shot, that cotton tipped onto his near post.  HT 1-0

Sholing visibly upped a gear after the restart and scored two goals in as many minutes.  On 53 mins, a freekick near the corner flag was whipped in by Hubbard to the far post where the arriving DAN MILLER stooped to head it low past two defenders on the line and into the bottom corner.  Quickly it was 3-0, as a corner broke to JAMIE BULPITT 20 yards out, he decided against blasting it, instead coolly steered the ball with a side foot past everyone and into the net.

Josh Cotton kept the score down, denying Lee Wort twice in quick succession with good saves.  He also came out on top when Marv went clean through.  Dan Miller went looking for another goal, but this time his downward header bounced up onto the crossbar.  The win was a comfortable one, with good performances all round. Owen Royl continued to look good filling in at left back, while Jean-Luc was a willing runner with good awareness on the flank.  Gosney will have busier games, for sure, but for him and his defence, it was clean sheet number 5 out of 7 games played this season.  FT 4-0

Sholing will be away to Moneyfields in the next round of the Hampshire Cup.  Date to be arranged.

Next Game : Amesbury Town v Sholing - Saturday 3pm - Wessex Prem
Next Home Game : Sholing v Hamble Club - Tuesday 29nd August 7:45pm - Wessex Prem (please note that Portsmouth Road will be shut next week approaching the ground from Sholing, diversion round to Bursledon or via Grange Road, Netley)

Photos courtesy of Ray Routledge