Scorers :

Date: Tuesday 3 December 2019 - 7:45pm - Buildbase FA Trophy Third Qualifying Round

Venue: Mackoy Stadium

Sholing: Ryan Gosney, TJ Cuthbertson, Marvin Mclean, Byron Mason © Owen Roundell, Jamie Bulpitt, Lee Wort (Jake Hoole 70), Alex Sawyer (James Lauder 82), Stuart Green, Dan Mason, Brad Targett. Unused Subs: Owen Royl, Jack Nicholas & Tobi Falodi

Yellow Cards: TJ Cuthbertson

Paulton Rovers: Joseph Perry, Joseph Hillard, Nuno Felix, Craig Allan, Charlie Hitchings ©, Bradley Abraham (Daniel Dempsey 58), Ben Withey, Braeden Symes, Ben Bament, David Sims-Burgess (Ryan Gay 67), Edward Butcher. Unused Subs: Cameron Sharney & Kye Mountford

Yellow Cards: Edward Butcher

Attendance: 105

Referee: Alex Bradley  Assistants: Chris Britton & James Kerton

Powerplus Man of the Match : Owen Roundell

In a match that was more entertaining than the scoreline suggests, Sholing created enough chances to go through to the First Round proper of the FA Trophy for the first time in the club's history, but sadly, they squandered them, so will have to replay the tie next Tuesday at Paulton.

Team News: Byron Mason returned to the side, but slotted into central defence as Dan Miller missed out through illness.

The Boatmen started the brighter and created their first opportunity in the third minute when Lee Wort was played in down the right. The strikers low angled shot was parried into the air by Paulton keeper Joseph Perry, with the rebound awkward for Stuart Green to head goalwards as it went past the post.  Minutes later, Green found Dan Mason who spun his marker and saw a tame shot blocked off the line from Hitchings and TJ Cuthbertson fired harmlessly wide with an ambitious effort from the resulting clearance.

The Sholing right-back was soon booked for a foul on Paulton Rovers’ tricky winger Edward Butcher, with the resulting free-kick slammed into the wall at close range from Ben Withey on the eighteenth minute. Shortly afterwards Butcher was left unmarked inside the area, but the winger’s low angled shot was straight at Ryan Gosney. Not to be deterred the winger had a powerful effort deflected away from goal by his strike partner Ben Bament, before having another shot blocked for a corner by Byron Mason on the half hour mark.

After a series of offside decisions for both sides, the Boatmen did create a couple of chances before the half time break. Brad Targett had a cross deflected for a corner that was met with a header at the far post by Owen Roundell, who directly it back across goal, but wide.  With the last kick of the first period Alex Sawyer, burst through on goal and floated an effort over Paulton keeper Joseph Perry, but not for the first or last time in this match, the effort went just wide. HT: 0-0

Although Sholing dominated the opening minutes of the second half in terms of possession and saw Dan Mason head over the crossbar from a corner, it was Paulton Rovers who created the first clear-cut chance when Nuno Felix went on a run and fired straight at Ryan Gosney who gathered easily at his near post. In response the Boatmen went straight down the other end and saw Dan Mason do well to flick the ball into the path of Lee Wort, who rushed his shot and fired over in the fifty-third minute. A minute later and the efforts wide were certainly getting closer to being on target, this time Alex Sawyer drilled a powerful shot just the wrong side of the upright.

In the fifty-seventh minute, Sholing created their best opportunity of the game to that point. When a Paulton attack broke down and the ball was fed to Brad Targett, the winger went on a lung-busting run, beating Bradley Abrahams for pace down the left side. His cut-back was dummied by Stu Green and fell perfectly towards Dan Mason, whose shot was blocked at source by a determined Craig Allan. Lee Wort and Alex Sawyer then saw efforts fizz past the post, before the latter was substituted for Jake Hoole.

Paulton Rovers made two substitutions as they freshened up their line-up, which almost paid dividends with a flurry of chances at the Sholing goal. Braeden Symes found space and sent a drive that was brilliantly tipped away for a corner by Gosney, before Edward Butcher fired wastefully into the side netting after advancing forward at an angle. In the final chance for the visitors a brilliant through-ball from midfield found Ben Bament in space, the striker tried to chip the advancing Gosney, who stayed tall and comfortably batted the effort away before collecting the loose ball.  Minutes later Paulton attacker Butcher went down inside the area with the referee immediately blowing his whistle to award Sholing a freekick and book Butcher for simulation.

Sholing pushed hard for a winner, but could only create the one chance in the closing moments as Brad Targett... you guessed it, shot just wide.  Frustating for the Boatmen not to get the job done tonight, but both teams looked evenly matched and Sholing will still fancy their chances, if they take their chances, in the Replay.  FT: 0-0

Report by Connor Steel

Next Game : Sholing v Barnstaple Town - Saturday 16 November 3pm - Southern League

Michel Jreissati spoke to Dave Diaper after the match :

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