Sholing4 2Bournemouth

Scorers :  Lee Wort 4, Dan Mason 50 & 70, Brad Targett 90+4  /  Shivan Roushbaiani 23, River Smith 66

Date: Tuesday 6th November 2018 - 7:45pm - Sydenhams Wessex Premier

Venue: Universal Stadium

Sholing: Ryan Gosney, Owen Royl, Marv McLean, Owen Roundell, Dan Miller, Jack Smith (Alex Rovelli-Zarelli), Jamie Bulpitt, Byron Mason [c], Dan Mason, Lee Wort, Jake Hoole (Brad Targett 77).  Unused Subs : Pete Castle, Ryan Mackney, Nick O'Donnell

Yellow Cards: Ryan Gosney,  Owen Roundell

Bournemouth: Sam Jones, Abdulaziz Aldhayan, Manny Ohameje, Chris Spears, Harvey Elson, Ron Frost [c], Fawzi Saadi, Harry Cooper, Stepan Neronski, Steve Flynn, Shivan Roushbaiani.  Subs : Ali Zintany, Pepe Smith, River Smith, Chia Khider, Joe Stacey

Yellow Cards: Fawzi Saadi, Ron Frost

Attendance: 145

Referee: Lee Nowacki  Assistants: Declan Skehan & Ben Cripps

Sholing made it 11 wins out of 11, but were pushed all the way by Bournemouth in a game that ebbed and flowed at the Universal Stadium. Boatmen had to battle hard against the lively visitors who put Sholing under more pressure than they've faced thus far in the League campaign, but they still emerged victorious.

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Team News : TJ Cuthbertson missed out though injury and Alex Sawyer was suspended. In came Owen Royl at right back and Jack Smith in midfield. Owen Roundell partnered Dan Miller at the back and there was a new face on the bench.  Alex Rovelli-Zarelli, an experienced holding midfielder, who coaches at Portsmouth Academy.

A blustery strong wind swirled around the ground at kick off, but was mostly behind Sholing, who as usual, started the game attacking the top goal and took an early lead on 4 minutes.  An attempted clearance by a Poppies defender hit his teammate and rebounded into the path of LEE WORT to stride forward and dart to the right of the on-rushing keeper before slotting the ball past him.

Bournemouth were utilising a very long throw to drop the ball deep into the Sholing 6 yard box, but the Boatmen defence were able to defend them, as well as the corners forced as a result of clearing the ball away.  The visitors didn't just depend on the long throw as they increasingly started to get in behind the Boatmen defence with balls into the channels and from one such attack, equalised on 23 mins. Shivan Roushbaiani was released between the centre backs and right back, his first shot was saved by Gosney, but he was able to force in the rebound.

The game continued to be even and although the attempts on goal were limited, it was a very competitive and engrossing game to watch.  Jamie Bulpitt tried his luck with a daisy cutter shot from 20 yards, but it fizzed wide of the upright.  Bournemouth appealed loudly for a penalty, although they were appealing for most things as the referee remained busy.  HT 1-1

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Sholing upped the pressure on the Poppies defence after the restart and were soon back in front from a familiar set-up and finish.  Lee Wort fed the ball into DAN MASON's feet, 8 yards out, and as he so often does, D-Dan somehow managed to spin and get a shot off with minimal space to work with and he smashed this effort past the keeper.   Boatmen went hunting for another, but with the wind at their backs, Bournemouth worked their way back into the game and on 66 minutes equalised when a long ball through the middle was latched onto by ex-Hamble player River Smith, (who had only signed for the Poppies on the day of the game) and he poked the ball past Gosney.

Alex Rovelli-Zarelli came on for his debut to replace Jack Smith in centre midfield.  The Poppies appeared to be still celebrating their equaliser 4 mins later as they allowed Lee Wort space in the box and he lifted a curling effort over the keeper's head, it was probably bending into the bottom corner, but DAN MASON made sure a yard out to edge one goal ahead of his strike partner and onto 27 for the season. 

Bournemouth pushed for their third equaliser of the game and were making Sholing work hard to defend their lead. The long throws continued to come in, but a combination of Gosney punching and catching under pressure and some towering headers away by his teammates, kept the Boatmen ahead as the clock ticked down and heavy rain started to lash down.  Bournemouth had a glorious chance to make it 3-3 on 89 minutes but as the ball fell to a player, 6 yards out, he somehow smashed it way over the crossbar.   Deep in added time, Sholing made the game safe when the tireless Lee Wort broke away and fed BRAD TARGETT who drilled a well hit shot from the edge of the area past Jones in goal.   It brought to an end a terrific game and great advert for Wessex League Football.  FT 4-2

After the game Callum Pearman spoke to Dan Miller : "It was a tough game to play in and defensively we were not at our best tonight. However, we managed to win it ugly even with the team changes that we're made tonight.  It maintains our 100% league status and with all the games coming thick and fast, it’s a quick turn around and we now must focus on Saturday where we host Bashley to keep our momentum going."

Next Game :  Sholing v Bashley - Saturday 10th November 3pm - Wessex Premier

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