Sholing 4-1 Mangotsfield United

Scorers : Brad Targett 38, Conor Whiteley 64, Jake Hoole 69, Stu Green 90+4 / Owen Humphries 83

Date: Saturday 20th November 2021, 3pm – Southern League South Division 1

Venue: Mackoy Stadium

Sholing: Ryan Gosney, Ryan Cluett, Marv McLean, Owen Roundell, Josh Batt, Rob Nicholls, Tomasz Gruzewksi (Jake Hoole 25), Byron Mason ©, Dan Mason, Conor Whiteley (Stu Green 74), Brad Targett. Unused subs : Joe Adams, Dan Miller & Luke Deacon

Yellow Card:

Mangotsfield United: Jakob Glover, Andre Freckleton (Josiah Dunstan 69), Tyler Jackson, Sam Larkins, Dion Chambers ©, Harry Haughton, Owen Humphries, Joe Cattermole, Kye Simpson, Daniel McBeam (Peter Majek-Oduyoye 69), Tabu Minzamba (Wayne Nderemani 58). Unused subs : Liam Towler & Ray Johnston

Yellow Card : Josiah Dunstan

Referee: Derek Pratt Assistants: Krasimir Petrov & Lucas Bomela

Attendance: 123

Sholing made it 3 wins this week in a game where they weren't firing on all cylinders, but were able to take more of the chances they created against a spirited Mangotsfield side who maybe didn't deserve to be on the end of a large scoreline. Brad Targett broke the deadlock in the first half and second half goals from Conor Whiteley, Jake Hoole & Stu Green, move us up to 2nd place in the league.

Before the game, there was a minutes silence in memory of Sholing supporter and sponsor, Jim Brady.

Team News : Marv & Conor returned to the starting line-up, while Dan Miller & Stu Green were both fit enough for a place on the bench. Jake Cope missed out with an injury and Sami Makhloufi was, as agreed with Blackfield when he joined us, playing for them in their FA Vase tie. Mangotsfield had only 3 players in their starting line-up who started the previous game with Sholing on the first day of the season.

The visitors literally looked a different team to the one that Sholing comfortably brushed aside back in August, starting brightly and working hard not to give the Boatmen any time on the ball. Mangotsfield might have had a penalty on 10 mins, but the referee said that Byron got something on the ball first. Sholing were struggling to settle into any rhythm, which prompted Dave Diaper into an eary change, taking off Tomasz and bringing on Jake Hoole and switching Brad to the right.

Mangotsfield created a good chance on 27 mins, when in on the angle, a shot was clipped past the advancing Gosney, but it drifted away from the far post and was cleared. Sholing's first shot in anger came on 31 mins when Brad Targett was fed in the right side of the area and his well struck shot towards the near post was pushed behind. From the corner, Byron climbed highest to nod into the path of Owen Roundell at the far post, but on the stretch, he put it over the bar.

Boatmen should have take the lead soon after, Targett's lovely weighted cross into the box from the right picked out Conor Whiteley unmarked in the middle and any sort of contact would surely have resulted in a goal, but he mistimed his header and the ball went wide. Sholing were picking up the tempo and after Dan Mason won a freekick on the right side of the area, the Boatmen took the lead. Ryan Cluett's delivery was once again, right on the money and BRAD TARGETT was left unmarked to meet it with a thumping header that went in just under the crossbar. HT 1-0

Dan Mason forced the keeper into a good save, palming away his snap shot from inside the box as Sholing looked to take the game away from Mangotsfield early in the second half. The away side expended a lot of energy in the first half and it did seem as though there were now more gaps for the Boatmen to exploit. However, it was from another set-piece that Sholing scored from as Cluett's right side corner caused a scramble in the 6 yard box and Brad Targett got something on the ball to knock it down for CONOR WHITELEY to score from close range.

A lovely ball by Dan Mason sent Brad Targett speeding into the right channel, he drew the keeper, but his effort slid agonisingly wide of the far post. Brad was involved in Sholing's third goal on 69 minutes as he spread the ball out to the left for JAKE HOOLE to run onto and from the left corner of the box, he floated a chip over the keeper and into the top corner. After missing 5 games with an injury, Stu Green returned to action, replacing Conor on 74 mins.

With the Boatmen having a comfortable lead, they sat back a bit and Mangotsfield had a period of pressure, which culminated with a goal on 83 minutes when after a couple of shot were saved and blocked, Owen Humphries smacked the ball inside the near post from just inside the area. The visitors had loud appeals for a penalty turned down as Sholing then perked up again, with Dan Mason heading narrowly wide from a corner. Once again, Cluett's delivery from set pieces were causing confusion in the Mangotsfield defence and this time the ball fell to Owen Roundell who hit the outside of the post.

With 4 minutes played of stoppage time, Sholing grabbed their fourth. Dan Mason collected the ball on the edge of the box, looked for support, but turned inside past one defender, then another, who clipped him, but he somehow stayed on his feet to dink the ball up perfectly for the arriving STU GREEN to nod in from 8 yards. Maybe Sholing weren't at their best compared to midweek's performance, but after the recent run where nothing was going our way, its good to see we are taking a higher proportion of the chances we create and the squad strength is back to where Dave Diaper would want it. FT 4-1

Next Game : Sholing v Evesham - Southern League - Saturday 27th November 3pm

Photos courtesy of HR Media & EspieJaz (swipe to view pics)