Horndean 0-2 Sholing
Scorers : Lee Wort 29, Conor Whiteley 62
Date: Tuesday 19 July 2022, 7:45pm – Pre-Season Friendly
Venue: Five Heads Park
Sholing players used : Ryan Gosney, Ryan Cluett, Marv McLean, Byron Mason ©, Owen Roundell, Dan Miller, Dom Panesar-Dower, Rob Nicholls, Sami Makhloufi, Dan Mason, Lee Wort, Conor Whiteley, Jake Cope, Josh Batt, Jack Mann, Stu Green, Ali Zintany, Dean Frampton, Lochlan Colquhoun
Lee Wort & Conor Whiteley got the goals as Sholing continued preparations for the new season with a good test at Horndean
Diapes had almost a full squad at his disposal and would go on to give every player some minutes, especially as it was several players first run out in pre-season. Players who were not available were Rob Flooks, Brad Targett & Charlie Wagstaffe. Two new faces were Dom Panesar-Dower, a central midfielder who has played for Weymouth, Dorchester & Winchester and Ali Zintany, formally of Blackfield & Langley, who played wide right in the second half.
Thankfully for everyone playing and watching, the hottest day of the year/decade/ever cooled right down with a fresh breeze as the game got underway. The home side had the first attacks, kicking up the slope, with Blankson shooting wide and then Willett testing Ryan Gosney with a curling dipping shot from the edge of the area that Gos did well to tip over. A classic Marv McLean overlap, saw him race in behind and pick out Dan Mason with a cross that was flicked goalwards, but the Horndean keeper smothered it. The home keeper presented Sami with the ball outside the box, he passed to Worty who fired over.
After the first drinks break, Sholing took the lead on 29 minutes. Sami Makhloufi fed LEE WORT on the right edge of the box, he checked inside past his marker and fired in low past the keeper at his near post. The action remained quite even for the remainer of the half, but without either keeper being tested. HT 0-1
The Boatmen dominated possession after the restart as both sides made multiple changes and rolling subs were also sensibly allowed by the referee. There were a few close calls in and around the Horndean box, but it took until 62 minutes for Sholing to get an effort on target and it was worth the wait. CONOR WHITELEY collected the ball on the left edge of the penalty area, opened up his body and hit a low curling effort beyond the keeper and into the far corner.
Horndean had a shot comfortably saved by Gosney and one blazed over from a good position. A clearance out of the box fell to Jake Cope and he fired the ball back in, but narrowly wide of the upright. A good workout against one of the stronger Wessex Prem sides and more minutes in the legs as we build up to the new season. FT 0-2
Winchester City 2-2 Sholing
Scorers : Bentley 42 (pen), Jones 67 / Dan Mason 24, Conor Whiteley 85
Date: Tuesday 26 July 2022, 7:45pm – Pre-Season Friendly
Venue: Charters Community Stadium
Sholing players used : Trialist GK, Ryan Cluett, Dean Frampton, Byron Mason ©, Owen Roundell, Dom Panesar-Dower, Rob Nicholls, Sami Makhloufi, Dan Mason, Lee Wort, Conor Whiteley, Jake Cope, Josh Batt, Stu Green, Brad Targett, Rob Flooks, Charlie Wagstaffe, Macca Hare, Trialist
A competitive pre-season friendly saw a sending off, some great saves and the Boatmen grab a late equaliser.
After their original opponents pulled out, Sholing stepped in at the last minute to face Winchester City, who will be playing in the league above us this season. Gos, Marv & Miller were unavailable & several players had a prior community engagement meaning they could only play the first 45.
Was a cagey opening 10 mins on not the best of surfaces, but on 16 mins, Byron Mason met a freekick with a powerful header that looked a goal all the way until the Winchester keeper pulled off a terrific save to claw it out the top corner. A scramble followed in the home side's penalty area and Jake Cope just failed to connect with a cross.
The trialist in goal for us had a moment, but former Boatmen, Claudio Herbert, put his effort off target of the gaping goal. We were cutting Winchester open down the left and on 24 mins, took the lead. Ryan Cluett's left sided corner was met by Rob Flooks, whose header crashed against the underside of the bar, back into play where DAN MASON got to the ball ahead of defenders to knock home.
Claudio had another chance to score for his new side, but Byron Mason was alert to clear his effort away from near the line. Sholing continued to link up well between midfield and attack and created a good chance on 35 mins when Dan Mason held the ball up in the box, laid it off to the arriving Conor Whiteley, who was denied on the angle by another good save. Sholing were on top, but Winchester equalised on 42 mins when a penalty was awarded & Bentley fired it in. HT 1-1
Multiple changes for Sholing for the restart, including Brad Targett who was quickly involved, racing down the right and cutting the ball back for Whiteley, whose shot inside the area, deflected off a defender and narrowly wide. On the hour mark, Sami Makhloufi's freekick found Rob Flooks at the back stick, but his diving header was into the side netting.
A trialist for Sholing on the left wing clattered into a Winchester player, causing some handbags and a lengthy stoppage. The referee sent him off, as is his right, deciding not to allow Dave Diaper to sub him off, as is normally the way in pre-season friendlies at our level.
Down to 10 men and then a minute later, behind, when Jones low shot from distance, went through Macca Hare in goal. The 17 year old keeper had a difficult few mins, airshotting a backpass and getting stick from some home fans. However, that turned to applause when Hill's dipping effort from 20 yards was superbly tipped over the bar by Macca.
With a man advantage, Winchester dominated possession, but were then reduced to 10 men themselves when a player went off injured and they had no further subs available. Sholing came back into it and scored on 85 mins when Stu Green stood up a cross into the 6 yard box and CONOR WHITELEY stretched to make contact and knock the ball high into the net.
The last action of the game saw Jones hit a shot from outside the area that looked destined for the postage stamp, until Macca Hare pulled off an even better save than his previous one, to somehow arch his body and tip the ball over the bar. FT 2-2
Next Game : Brockenhurst v Sholing - Saturday 30 July 3pm
Salisbury 4-2 Sholing
Scorers : Diaz 51 & 69, Goodship 60, Fitchett 81 / Rob Flooks 58, Owen Roundell 79
Date: Saturday 23 July 2022, 3pm – Pre-Season Friendly
Venue: The Raymond McEnhill Stadium
Sholing players used : Ryan Gosney, Ryan Cluett, Marv McLean, Byron Mason ©, Owen Roundell, Dan Miller, Dom Panesar-Dower, Rob Nicholls, Sami Makhloufi, Dan Mason, Lee Wort, Conor Whiteley, Jake Cope, Josh Batt, Stu Green, Brad Targett, Rob Flooks, Charlie Wagstaffe, Trialist GK
Attendance : 150 (approx 30 Sholing fans)
All the goals came in an end to end second half, after Sholing edged a goaless first period.
A full squad was available as the game got underway at Southern League Premier, Salisbury. The pitch was in great condition and with the temperatures lower than the previous week, most of the match was played under cloudy skies.
Lee Wort & Dan Mason were quickly closing down the Salisbury back line, forcing them into a number of errors early on, but they escaped without incident. The first effort on goal came on 24 mins when Wort crossed from the left and Dan Mason flicked it first time goalwards from 6 yards, but straight at the keeper.
From a Sami Makhloufi corner, Rob Flooks met the ball with a header that the keeper punched away from near his line. Sami threaded a nice pass through the defence for Lee Wort to latch onto, but under pressure he prodded a shot wide of the near post. Boatmen had been better with possession, but the home side created a couple of chances late in the half, both ending with shots flashing across goal and wide. HT 0-0
Dave Diaper made 7 changes for the restart, with Steve Claridge making none, possibly demonstrating he wanted more from his side. He got it almost immediately as Salisbury had an overload on our right side of the area and Diaz smacked a rising shot past Gos.
We pulled level soon after when Ryan Cluett's right sided corner found ROB FLOOKS to stoop but get great power in his header from 12 yards to go over the keeper's hands and high into the net. The lead only lasted a minute, good play on the right by a pacy Salisbury player saw him advance into the box and square for Goodship to knock in unchallenged.
Boatmen gifted possession on 69 mins, allowing Salisbury to break clear from the half way line, with Diaz coolly rolling the ball past an exposed Gosney
We scored our second on 79 mins, Ryan Cluett spotted the run from midfield and lifted the ball over the backline for OWEN ROUNDELL to run into the right channel and with the keeper coming out, he lifted a lovely chip over him and into the goal from 20 yards
But for the second time in the game, straight away, we gifted a goal to Salisbury when an underhit backpass left the trialist goalkeeper, who just that minute come on, absolutely no chance as Fitchett slotted past him.
Some good and bad things to take away from today, as is the case in any game. Matched a team from a higher division for long periods, but you can't gift any side the opportunities we did second half and not expect them to take them. FT 4-2
Next Game : Brockenhurst v Sholing - Saturday 30 July 3pm
Brockenhurst 1-9 Sholing
Scorers : Lee Wort 43, 67, 75, 87, 90, Dan Mason 38, 65, Sami Makhloufi 57 (pen), Jake Cope 70
Date: Saturday 30 July 2022, 3pm – Pre-Season Friendly
Venue: Meadans Skoda Arena, Grigg Lane
Sholing players used : Ryan Gosney, Josh Batt, Byron Mason, Dean Frampton, Owen Roundell, Marv McLean, Brad Targett, Rob Nicholls, Sami Makhloufi, Lee Wort, Dan Mason, Jake Cope, Dan Panesar-Dower, Charlie Wagstaffe, Lochlan Colquhoun, Ryan Cluett, Wayne Robinson
Lee Wort scored 5 times as the Boatmen scored 7 in the second half at Brockenhurst.
A trip into the Forest to face the Wessex Prem side who finished 6th last season, saw Sholing without Conor Whiteley (short term injury), Stu Green (sadly, longer term injury), Dan Miller & Rob Flooks (unavailable). In the home side's technical area was Sholing great, Pete Castle.
Was an even opening to the game, but Sholing had the first effort on goal when Lee Wort's header was well saved. Sami put a shot wide from Marv's cut back, before Gosney was well placed to hold a firmly struck shot. On 33 mins, Brock took the lead when a mistake at the back left Gosney stranded and the Brock trialist found the empty net. Gos then had to react quickly to stop the home side doubling their lead.
On 38 mins, we equalised when Brad Targett broke down the right and into the area before squaring to DAN MASON to sidefoot high into the net. The lead was extended on 43 mins, Sami Makhloufi threading a ball for LEE WORT to run onto and he slotted past the keeper. HT 1-2
Was pretty clear from the team-talk on the side of the pitch from Dave Diaper, that he wanted a lot more from his team for the second half and he got it. I'm going to quickly run out of ways to link the 2nd half goals together in paragraphs, so instead will list them :
57 mins : 1-3 - Brad Targett burst into the area on the right and was brought down from behind for a penalty. SAMI MAKHLOUFI coolly rolled the ball past the keeper who had dived the other way.
65 mins : 1-4 - Jake Cope showed good control as he ran at the Brock defence and he set the ball to DAN MASON who smashed an unstoppable 18 yard shot into the top corner.
67 mins : 1-5 - A superb pass by Sami put LEE WORT in behind on the left side of the area and he drilled his shot low across the keeper into the far corner.
70 mins : 1-6 - Another assist from Sami as he played a straight ball in behind for JAKE COPE to knock past the onrushing keeper.
75 mins : 1-7 Copey turned provider, squaring the ball from the right for LEE WORT to lift a shot over the keeper, who got a hand on it, but it dropped under the bar and in for Worty's hat-trick
87 mins : 1-8 - It was the same combination again for our eighth, Sami to Copey to LEE WORT to finish from close range.
90 mins : 1-9 - To be honest, I was updating twitter with the 8th goal when this one went in, so only saw LEE WORT once again make no mistake from inside the 6 yard box.
11 goals in 4 pre-season games for Lee Wort & Dan Mason and they have instantly picked up from where they left off a couple of seasons ago. Sterner tests lay ahead, but no Southern League defence will look forward to facing us with these two in form.
As well as good run outs for the squad, another trialist, Wayne Robinson, formally of Eastleigh Academy, made a positive impact with his pace & skill in the second half. We hope to have another friendly announced sometime this week. FT 1-9
Swipe/Scroll to view photos, click on them to enlarge
