Sholing 3-2 Highworth Town

Scorers : Stuart Green 38 & 90+2, PJ McLean 41  /  Matthew Cheetham 44, Ryan Stanners 48

Date: Tuesday 29th September 2020, 7.45pm – Pitching In Southern League South Division One

Venue: Mackoy Stadium

Sholing: Ryan Gosney, TJ Cuthbertson, Marvin Mclean, Dan Miller, PJ Mclean, Charlie Wagstaffe, Claudio Herbert (Nick Watts 71 (Brad Targett 94)), Byron Mason ©, Dan Mason, Stuart Green, Jake Hoole.  Unused Subs: Luke Deacon Owen Roundell Jamie Bulpitt

Yellow Card: Jake Hoole

Highworth Town: Connor Johns ©, Ryan Stanners, Matthew Grabe, Sean Wood (Sam Morris 81), Daniel Corner, Liam Haines (Leon Morrison 85), Joe Selman (Tom Rejek 94), Robert Dean, Ashley Edenborough, Callum McGhee-Parsons, Matthew Cheetham. Unused Subs: Jordan Murray

Yellow Cards: Matthew Cheetham, Sean Wood, Ryan Stanners.  Red Card: Matthew Cheetham

Attendance: 150

Man of the Match: Byron Mason

Referee: Pete Lowe  Assistants: Darren Cooley & Derek Pratt

Sholing bounced back to winning ways, snatching the win in added time after an end to end entertaining match.  Stu Green grabbed a brace, including the late winner and PJ McLean got his first goal for the Boatmen.

Team News: Dave Diaper made two changes from Saturday’s defeat, with Charlie Wagstaffe & Jake Hoole coming in with Brad Targett & Owen Roundell dropping to the bench.

Sholing made a lively start and could have scored in just the third minute. Fine pressing won a loose ball in midfield and Charlie Wagstaffe took advantage by advancing into the penalty area. Unfortunately, his low cross evaded everybody and was cleared away, before an out-swinging free kick was headed just wide by PJ Mclean as the Boatmen dominated the first ten minutes.

Further openings from Stuart Green’s angled shot and Marvin Mclean’s low drive continued the promising start from Sholing, but the game seemed to switch after twenty minutes as Highworth worked themselves back into contention. This led to spells of away possession and set pieces that came to nothing as Charlie Wagstaffe blocked two shots in the same passage of play.

Not to be deterred Highworth continued to push and saw the first effort on target as interplay allowed Joe Selman space for a shot. However Ryan Gosney stopped the effort with his feet, before the Sholing keeper denied a flicked header from Ashley Edenborough at his near post. Down the other end Dan Mason fired over and was then fouled by Highworth’s Matthew Cheetham, who was booked for the challenge.

The game exploded goals, with 3 in the space of 6 minutes just before half time. Sholing opened the scoring in the 38th minute when the ball was played into the feet of Dan Mason, who controlled, spun and got off a low shot that the Highworth keeper parried out and STU GREEN was the quickest to react, knocking the ball in back past the keeper.

It was two-nil to the Boatmen two minutes later as a corner was recycled by Charlie Wagstaffe, who got off a shot that the keeper kicked away on his line, but it fell nicely to PJ MCLEAN who fired in via a deflection for his first goal for Sholing. It was almost 3 straight from the restart as Stu Green played in Bryon Mason on the overlap and his powerful angled shot fizzed inches wide of the far post.

Highworth got themselves back in the game on 44 minutes as swift passing created space for Robert Dean, whose low cross was easily converted by Matthew Cheetham to bring a hectic half to an end.  HT: 2-1

With added momentum, the visitors started the second half well and saw Sean Wood’s low effort saved by Ryan Gosney from twenty yards out. However there was nothing that the Sholing goalkeeper could do about the equaliser in the 48th minute. Some more good build up play and a fortunate deflection, saw the ball fall to Ryan Stanners with his back to goal, but he spun brilliantly and hit an unstoppable shot into the far corner.

Sholing immediately attempted to restore their lead and saw a wonderful opportunity in the fifty-third minute. Dan Mason flicked the ball into the feet of Bryon Mason who was able to surge into the penalty area . The captain squared a low pass into the direction of Stu Green, who seemed set to find the net, until Connor Johns somehow deflected the ball over the bar.

Although play fell into a midfield battle around the hour mark as both teams saw half chances in an end-to-end spell without really testing the goalkeeper. Highworth striker Ashley Edenborough fired wide and Liam Haynes saw a shot blocked at source, before Jake Hoole’s curling effort was comfortably saved from range. Stu Green lined up a 25 yard freekick that beat the wall, but clipped the outside of the upright.

The Boatmen continued to push and saw another great chance with twenty minutes left as the ball was played into the feet of Dan Mason. Highworth keeper Connor Johns however made a great save from the Sholing striker’s powerful first time shot on the turn. But this missed opportunity only spurred the Boatmen further as Byron Mason’s low cross was flicked wide of near post by Green.

Sholing were the team looking the most likely to get a winner during the final 15 minutes and with a minute to go, the visitors found themselves down to 10 men.  Cheetham, who had been booked in the first half, clipped the heel of TJ, with the ref giving him a final warning. Then a minute later, Stu Green nicked the ball away on the half way line and was hauled down by Cheetham to receive a second yellow and make an extended walk to the dressing room as he firstly headed to the old ones.

In the second minute of added on time, TJ picked out Byron Mason with a long pass from the half way line, Byron did brilliantly to fend off his marker and guide a perfectly weighted header into the path of STU GREEN behind him, who hit a first time left foot shot into the far top corner to spark big celebrations and gain the Boatmen all three points. FT: 3-2

A thrilling game to watch, with Sholing getting the win and Highworth succumbing in stoppage time for the second time in a few days.  The visitors certainly made it entertaining and played some good football, but it was the Boatmen who put aside the disappointment of Saturday to get our second league win of the season and a morale boost ahead of a big FA Cup trip to Cornwall at the weekend.

Report by Connor Steel

Next Game :  Saltash United v Sholing - FA Cup - Saturday 3pm

{youtube}MYfL_KQ7Adk{/youtube}