Scorers : Ollie Bradley 30, Ben Bolton 42 / Dan Mason 72
Date: Friday 23rd March 2018 7:45pm - Sydenhams Wessex League Cup Semi Final
Venue: Waterside Sports & Social Club
Fawley: Jon Page, Peter Keating, Matt Hawkins, Steven Green (Nick Dwyer), Reece Macey, Dane Sayce [c], Ollie Bradley, Dan Semmonds, Ben Bolton, Declan Hartigan (Dan Fry), Mark Lilley (Adam French), Nick Dwyer. Subs not used : Matt Spencer & Craig Shellard
Yellow Cards: Ben Bolton, Peter Keating, Matt Hawkins, Reece Macey
Sholing: Ryan Gosney, TJ Cuthbertson, Owen Royl, Pete Castle, Dan Miller (Harry Butler 78), Jamie Bulpitt, Marlon Mason, Byron Mason [c], Dan Mason, Jean-Pierre Alexander (Jack Smith 45), Jake Hoole. Subs not used : Kevin Brewster, Frazer McLean & Jamie Bray
Yellow Cards: Dan Miller, Jamie Bulpitt, Owen Royl
Attendance: 143 (approx 30 Sholing fans)
Man of the Match: Jake Hoole
Referee: Peter Lowe Assistants: Callum Waller & Anthony Cross
Sholing fell at the Semi-Final hurdle for the second time this week. Whereas, the Boatmen were desperately unlucky on Tuesday, tonight there was no complaint about the result. Fawley deservedly went through to the final against a lack-lustre Sholing.
Team News: Lee Wort & Owen Roundell missed out through injury, whilst Alex Sawyer & Marv McLean were unavailable. Dan Miller was making his 250th appearance for the Boatmen, playing on through the pain barrier in typical fashion.
Sholing started brightly, forcing a succession of corners, but the home side were able to clear. JP Alexander, making his first start had an angled shot flash wide before showing quick feet to get into the box, but poking his effort wide as the keeper came out. Fawley started to take control of midfield and had two good chances when a free header from a freekick was planted straight at Gosney. Then on 25 mins, Gos cleared outside his area, but the ball was picked up by a Fawley player, but his lifted shot over the backpeddling keeper bounced wide.
The "Oilers" took the lead on the half hour when Hartigan beat two Sholing players to a ball in midfield to free Bolton and his slide rule pass across the box found Ollie Bradley in lots of space to slot past Gosney. Sholing looked a bit shellshocked after conceding and were finding it hard to keep the ball with the home side rapidly closing them down. Jamie Bulpitt had the Boatmen's first shot on target on 40 mins, but it was comfortable for the keeper.
On 42 minutes, Fawley were in dreamland as they scored again. Dan Miller had picked up a dubious caution (only his 4th yellow in 250 games) and from the resultant freekick, Semmonds swung the ball into the area where Ben Bolton was somehow allowed to get in a diving header that spun up and into the far corner. HT 2-0
Dave Diaper strengthen an outnumbered midfield by bringing on Jack Smith for Alexander for the restart. Sholing went close to scoring 2 minutes in when Dan Mason flicked a header from a corner onto the crossbar. The ball bounced out to the edge of the area, where a well struck shot pinged back in, but to sum up the night for Sholing, it smacked against Pete Castle near the goal line. Despite sitting back more, Fawley still looked dangerous going forward and a shot from 20 yards was smashed against the Sholing crossbar on 55 mins.
Sholing were making little impression on the hardworking Fawley defence, with just a couple of shots that were easily dealt with by the keeper and corners that came to nothing. Boatmen did finally break through on 72 minutes with a route-one goal as Gosney's kick was flicked on into the path of DAN MASON to advance into the box and fire low into the far corner. This should have sparked the comeback, but with Fawley still showing incredible energy and being able to break up attacks with a mixture of strong tackling and game management, Sholing never came close to getting an equaliser. FT 2-1
Dave Diaper said after the match : "Congratulations to Fawley who showed a greater passion and desire to win the game tonight and get to the final against Portchester. We looked like a Southern League side against Blackfield on Tuesday, but we looked bang average tonight. Good luck to Fawley in the Final"
Next Game : Sholing v Newport IW - Tuesday 27 March 7:45 - Wessex Premier