Scorers : Lee Wort 42, 70 Dan Mason 85 / Kelvin Robinson 48, Jake Rawkins 79 

Date: Saturday 24^th February 2018 3:00pm - Sydenhams Wessex Premier Division

Venue: The Universal Stadium

Sholing: Ryan Gosney, Owen Roundell (Jack Smith 63), Marvin Mclean, Owen Royl, Dan Miller, Jamie Bullpitt, TJ Cuthbertson, Byron Mason [C], Dan Mason, Lee Wort, Alex Sawyer (Jake Hoole 70). Subs not used: Pete Castle, Kevin Brewster & Marlon Mason

Yellow Cards: None

Bemerton Heath Harlequins:  Rob Crossley, Danny Field, George Plank, Jamie Waters, Joe Rawkins, Scott Hassell, Kelvin Robertson (Harry Rogers 82), Jake Burgess [C] (James Lightfoot 45), Rob Matthews, Jordan Matthews, Jake Rawkins. Subs not used: Liam Greenough & Lewis Watch

Yellow Cards: None

Attendance: 76

Man of the Match: Lee Wort

Referee: Jonathon Pike  Assistants: Callum Walker & Andrew Brown

Sholing continued their goal-scoring and winning run on a cold but sunny afternoon at the Universal Stadium. However they were taken to the very end and a typically clinical piece of Dan Mason finishing with five minutes left, gave the Boatmen their 4^th straight win since the start of February after a brace from Lee Wort.

Team News: With Dave Diaper away Marc Diaper and Iain Calder oversaw the side during the warm up Pete Castle picked up an injury and had to be replaced by Owen Royl meaning it was the same starting eleven that beat Amesbury midweek. Pete Castle dropped to the bench replacing Jamie Bray.

The first three minutes of the game were frantic and dominated by Sholing, who had a Dan Mason header very well saved down at the near post before a lovely chip by Lee Wort was disallowed for offside in the 2^nd and 3^rd minute respectively.

After a brief lull in the game, both teams came close from corners in quick succession. Firstly Bemerton Health’s Scott Hassell came close with a free header from a corner by Jake Rawkins in the 14^th minute. Sixty seconds later, a Sholing corner by Alex Sawyer was volleyed over the bar by Dan Miller. Dan Mason then saw his header flash wide of the post from a corner.  In the 20^th minute Sholing had another half chance when a clearance fell to Lee Wort, who shot straight at the keeper from 30 yards out. Next it was Marvin McLean who got to the byline and cut back inside and his ball fell between the players and landed safely into Crossley’s hands.  

It seemed that most of Bemerton’s chances were coming from crosses into the box as Rob Matthews had two headers fly high and wide from crosses from George Plank around the half hour mark of the first half.

However it was Sholing that dominated possession in the last 10 minutes of the first half and were ultimately rewarded as they took the lead in the 42^nd minute. After Marvin Mclean had had a shot tipped away the ball was cleared and the Bemerton Heath players aimed to start a counter attack. However, a pass went astray and this left space in behind. To compound this mistake further, LEE WORT ran on to the ball and brought it down and turned inside the defender, before unleashing a curling shot into the top corner to give the Boatmen the lead at half time. HT 1-0.

Bemerton Heath had to replace their injured skipper Jake Burgess with James Lightfoot at half time with Scott Hassell taking over the Captaincy. Bemerton Heath quickly equalised in the 48^th minute when Jake Rawkins played a great through ball that split the Sholing defence. It fell perfectly to Kelvin Robinson, who with time and space made no mistake and calmly slotted home across Ryan Gosney into the corner.

The next 20 minutes saw many half chances as the ball went from end-to-end. This included a shot from a Bemerton Heath attacker cleared off the line, and many shots by Sholing being blocked at source or being too under hit to test the keeper. On 63 minutes Jack Smith replaced the injured Owen Roundell and four minutes later Dan Mason saw his snap shot saved by Crossley following good build up play.

You always believed that another goal would come, and it did in the 70^th minute. A corner by Alex Sawyer caused chaos in the box and the ball found LEE WORT, who scored his 2^nd of the game via the underside of the crossbar to make it 2-1. Alex Sawyer was replaced by Jake Hoole a minute later. Within two minutes Jake Hoole had a low shot saved by Crossley. Dan Mason was close to scoring when his fiercly struck shot just cleared Rob Crossley’s crossbar. Lee Wort had further chances to clinch his hat trick, but one was fired over and the other was straight at the keeper. 

Frustrated at not being able to get a third, this was compounded further when Bemerton Heath equalised for the second time with a goal that was almost identical to their first. Jake Rawkins turned from provider to scorer as he scored with a low shot into the bottom right corner after another attacking through-ball found big gaps in the Sholing defence in the 79^th minute.

Lee Wort then came close in the 83^rd minute, but Sholing’s winner came two minutes later as their pressure paid off. Jack Smith's cross into the box was chested down by DAN MASON, who in the same movement finished with a low shot past the keeper from 12 yards.

Further half-chances came and went for both teams in the last 5 minutes, but Sholing ultimately won a 4^th straight game. Although there were five goals, there were strangely not that many clear-cut chances. It was not the best performance from the Boatmen, but another 3 points and completed the double over one of our traditional bogey sides. FT 3-2

Report by Connor Steel

Next Game : Sholing v Blackfield & Langley - Soton Senior Cup Semi Final - At AFC Totton, Wednesday 28th Feb 7:30pm

Photos by Ray Routledge (click an image to enlarge)