Scorers : Dean Stow 22  /  Dan Mason 9, 28, 56 (pen), Stu Green 13, Lee Wort 40, 60

Date: Saturday 4th January 2020 - 3:00pm - Betvictor Southern League South Division One

Venue: Winchester City

Basingstoke Town: Aaron Watkins, Alfie Saunders, Adam Everiss (Ryan Suckling 70), Harrison Cliff, Dean Stow ©, Durrell Brown, Riccardo Andrady (Michael Davis 67), Ben Cook, Ben Wright, Bradley Wilson, Jordan Edwards (D'Andre Brown 67). Unused subs : Jordan Alves, Lionel Masudi

Yellow Cards: Alfie Saunders, Dean Stow

Sholing: Ryan Gosney, Owen Royl, Jake Hoole (Tobi Falodi 43), Owen Roundell, Dan Miller, Jamie Bulpitt (James Lauder 68), Lee Wort (Jack Nicholas 69), Byron Mason ©, Dan Mason, Stu Green, Brad Targett. Unused sub : Marv McLean

Yellow Cards: Stu Green

Attendance: 361 (Approx 50 Sholing fans)

Referee: Gareth Dunn  Assistants: John Foster & Mark Shapland

Man of the Match : Stu Green

Sholing got their first league away win of the season in some style by thrashing Basingstoke in an action packed match.  Dan Mason grabbed a hat-trick & Lee Wort a brace, including a stunning overhead kick, with Stu Green also deserverdly getting on the score sheet.  Ryan Gosney also saved a penalty with a great diving stop to round off a great performance for the Boatmen.

Team News : Owen Royl went to right back, with Marv troubled by a groin strain. Jake continued at left back, despite being under the weather and Jamie Bulpitt started in midfield with Sawyer unavailable. TJ missed out through injury, although will hopefully return to action in midweek.

With Basingstoke evicted from their Camrose Ground and still awaiting promised funding from the developer to allow them to move to Hampshire FA's ground at Winkelbury, the match took place at Winchester City.  With a blinding setting sun behind the top goal, winning the toss seemed important and Byron did, allowing Sholing to kick down the pitch with the sun in the eyes of the Basingstoke players.  Not that it ended up being significant to the result, with the pace & movement of the Boatmen opening up the home team from the first minute to the last.

Within 2 minutes Sholing had created 2 good chances. Firstly Brad Targett raced into the box down the right channel, but his shot went into the side netting. Then a flick by Dan Mason set Lee Wort in behind, but the keeper came out quickly to smother his attempted dink past him.  On 6 mins, Stu Green cut in from the left and curled a shot narrowly over, but he would be involved in the opening goal on 8 mins.  Green did well to get to the byline and a cross into the middle of the box where the ball found DAN MASON to drill a low shot through a crowd and into the net.  Incredibly, that was Sholing's first away goal in the league this season (although to be fair, due to weather & the FA Trophy cup run, it was only our 6th away game since August).

Sholing's second goal was a similar build up to the first, this time Brad Targett was able to get in behind and he squared it across the 6 yard box and on a plate for the unmarked STU GREEN to knock over the line for his 6th league goal in as many games.   The home side were handed a way back into the match when following a corner, a shot by former Boatmen, Dean Stow, was cleared off the line. However, despite no appeal by Basingstoke players or supporters, the referee adjudged the ball to have gone over the line and to most people's bemusement, gave the goal. Even the home fans sung a quick rendition of "you don't know what you're doing".

Boatmen didn't let that rattle them and extended their lead on 27 minutes with a sweet goal by DAN MASON. D-Dan won the ball off a defender outside the box and let fly with a thumping 20 yard shot that flew inside the post with the keeper motionless.  What followed a few minutes later would have been one of the goals of the season, but was denied by the woodwork.  A long ball down the left wing appeared to be behind Stu Green, but he showed fantastic skill to flick it over his head and control before putting in a cross that was met with a sidefoot volley by Dan Mason, but it agonisingly crashed off the bar.

Sholing were in full flow and the 4th goal soon followed on 38 mins with Stu Green, once again the architect, running at a petrified Basingstoke defence and crossing to the far post where LEE WORT applied the finish.   Tobi Falodi came on for the ill Jake Hoole, going to right back and Owen Royl going to left back and almost immediately, Basingstoke were awarded a penalty when the ref said that Royl had tripped the player running across the box.  Ryan Gosney flung himself to his right to save the spot kick to bring to an end a breathless first half.  HT 1-4

The second half got underway with Sholing in control and you felt it was only a matter of time until they added to their tally. So it was, when on 57 mins, Lee Wort was hauled down as he turned in the box. Despite Stu Green jokingly putting the ball on the spot, it was DAN MASON who completed his hat-trick by sending the keeper the wrong way.

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It was to get better for the Boatmen on the hour mark with a goal of the season contender!  A ball was cleared only as far as LEE WORT on the edge of the area, who with his back to goal, flicked the ball up and in one motion hit an overhead kick that arced beautifully over the keeper and into the top corner.  A stunning piece of skill that would have graced any game, any where.

The final 20 minutes saw the game peter out, although Sholing had a couple of good chances to get another goal.  After Brad Targett was denied what looked a stonewall penalty,  Stu Green got in behind and tried to curl the ball around the advancing keeper, who did well to get his fingertips to it and deflect it past the post.  He didn't do as well soon after, with a clearance going to Jack Nicholas to seemingly have a wide open net to score into, but with Watkins scrambling back into the 6 yard box, Jack hit his shot towards him instead of what looked like the more open side. 

Some way for Sholing to break their duck away from home this season, with a scintillating attacking performance.  A great treat for the watching Boatmen supporters.  FT 1-6

Next Game : Winchester City v Sholing - Tuesday 7:45pm - Southern League Cup
Next Home Game : Sholing v Horndean - Thursday 7:45pm - Russell Cotes Cup