Scorers : Liam Mears 77 / Alex Sawyer 64 & 73, Zac Mouland 25, Owen Royl 62
Date : Tuesday 12th September 2017 - 7:45pm - Sydenhams Wessex League Cup 1st Round
Venue : Little Testwood Farm
Totton & Eling : Ellis Grant, Owen Bush, Adam Pattison (Jake Cooksley), Scott Walters [c], Ryan Lomax, Ryan Llewelyn (Matt Morris), Malin Bowman (Liam Mears), Jo Tessem, Liam Gouge, George Woodhall, Onandi Shepherd. Subs not used : Luke Achurch & Liam Richardson
Yellow Card : Malin Bowman
Sholing : Ryan Gosney, Kev Brewster (TJ Cuthbertson 63), Jack Smith, Owen Roundell, Dan Miller, Owen Royl, Alex Saywer, Byron Mason [c], Lee Wort, Zac Mouland, Connor Kelly. Subs not used : Barry Mason, Dan Mason, Jamie Bulpitt, Marv McLean
Yellow Card :
Attendance : 110 (approx 35 Sholing fans)
Man of the Match : Alex Sawyer
Referee : Tim Godfray Assistants : Andrew Walker & Paul Addis
Boatmen started their defence of the Wessex League Cup with a comfortable win in a game played in atrocious conditions. Alex Sawyer grabbed a brace, with Zac Mouland & Owen Royl also finding the net.
Team News : Dave Diaper took the chance to give a few players a run-out who for one reason or another have not had a start in recent weeks. Totton & Eling included ex Saints player Jo Tessem, now 45, who was playing in the Premier League when Owen Royl was born!
As the game got underway, the heavens opened and a strong gusty wind swept across the pitch and didn't relent for the rest of the match. Connor Kelly had the first effort on goal, shooting over from the edge of the area after making a bit of space for himself. Sholing were camped in the T&E half, playing the ball on the deck, but without testing the keeper. All that changed on 25 minutes when the Boatmen took the lead. Connor Kelly did a give & go to get in behind on the left wing and his cross found ZAC MOULAND with his back to goal on the edge of the 6 yard box. Zac spun and on the stretch, hit a low shot under the dive of the keeper.
On the half hour, Alex Sawyer saw space open up in front of him and tried a snap shot on the angle that Grant beat away. Apart from a couple of breaks by the home side that came to nothing, it was one-way traffic, meaning Ryan Gosney cut a lonely figure in his penalty area being lashed by the elements. HT 0-1
Zac Mouland almost grabbed a second just after the restart, but his shot inside the box was saved by the keeper's legs. Finally, Ryan Gosney had something to do when a 25 yard freekick beat the wall and was heading into the bottom corner until Gos dived full length to tip round the post.
Sholing were to put the game to bed with two goals in as many minutes. On 62 minutes, the ball came out to OWEN ROYL 25 yards out and he fired a daisy-cutter that zipped off the wet pitch and evaded Grant in the goal to find the middle of the net. Then a nice move down the right saw Zac Mouland released into space on the wing and his perfect cross was met by the incoming ALEX SAWYER to guide the ball into the far corner.
Despite the horrible weather, both sides were putting on an entertaining match, which was also refreshingly free of incidents for the Ref to get involved with. Sholing grabbed their 4th goal when substitute TJ Cuthbertson burst down the right, his cross was cleared only to ALEX SAWYER on the edge of the box, who steadied himself and fired in a well struck shot through a crowd of players.
Totton & Eling scored a consolation goal on 77 minutes, and it was a superb effort from Liam Mears. He picked the ball up in midfield and went on a twisting mazy run into the box, before firing a shot across Gosney & into the net. Sholing had further chances to increase the score-line, but as the clocked ticked down, it was probably a hot shower & warming drink that occupied the thoughts of the bedraggled players. Sholing will be away to Ringwood Town in the next round. FT 1-4
Next Home Game : Sholing v Brockenhurst - Saturday 16th September 3pm - Wessex Premier