Sholing1-0TivertonTown

Scorers : Stuart Mott 71

Date : Saturday 1st November 2014 - 3:00pm kick off - FA Trophy 1st Qualifying Round

Sholing : Matt Brown, TJ Cuthbertson, Sam Olaofe, Stuart Mott, Dan Miller, Alex Sawyer, Nick Watts, Jack Smith, Barry Mason [c], Sam Wilson (Alex Baldacchino 60). Unused Subs: Dan Mason, Tobi Adekunle, Taurean Manders, Mike Byrne

Yellow Card :

Tiverton Town : Chris Wright, Luke Mortimer (George Rodgers 76), Josh Searle, Matt Bye, Alex Faux, Tom Gardener, Jimmy Hinds, Owen Howe, James Richards [c], Dan Western (Steve Goss 69), James Mudge. Unused Sub: Ed Weeks.

Yellow Card :  Chris Wright 52

Attendance : 139

Man of the Match :  Dan Miller

Referee :  Iain Parsons.  Assistants: Brian White & Mark Shapland

A second half Stuart Mott goal was enough for Sholing to progress to the next round of the FA Trophy and end a tough week for the club at the Silverlake Arena.

Team News : I’m glad to say that the focus of today’s team sheet was the return of Dan Miller and Sam Olaofe from long absences from the team. Replacing Taurean Manders and Jude Nwachukwu, who starts his 2 week absence following his horror injury which left him needing 20 stitches. Matt Brown was also back in the starting line-up after a week on holiday replacing Rory Anderson. Finally Nick Watts comes back into the side, dropping Alex Baldacchino to the bench.

It was also a welcome back to the dugout for Vase winning manager and Sholing Chairman Dave Diaper following the departure of Mick Marsh midweek.

The first 10 minutes were a real sense of the teams getting to know each other thoroughly, especially in midfield as both defences were doing their upmost to deal with everything coming through the packed midfields. Alex Sawyer was the first player to break the mould and pull a strike away after Barry Mason did well to hold the ball up just outside the penalty area. Sawyer’s connection wasn’t clean and the shot was always heading wide.

The first save of the day was credited to Tiverton goalkeeper Chris Wright who was tested by a swirling Nick Watts strike from wide right. Wright did well to get down to his near post and parry the ball away. And just a minute later Tiverton’s Luke Mortimer squandered a golden opportunity to put his travelling side ahead as he drilled his strike wide. A succession of missed chances and off-target crosses passed as both teams looked to break the deadlock, and Sam Wilson looked like he was going to do it had his fierce strike not been blocked by a sliding yellow shirt, with Barry Mason and Sam Wilson both incensed that the ball had struck the defenders arm but despite their protests to the referee, the penalty was not given.

Overall the quality of football in the first half wasn’t meeting the standards seen previously this season at the Silverlake by either side but special mentions must go to Barry Mason for his acrobatic overhead attempt that got didn’t go quite right. And Matt Brown for an outstanding reaction save to stop a drilled effort through a crowded box with his legs. HT 0-0

The second half started and suddenly the game burst into life, not long after the restart Sam Wilson sprung away to collect a long ball forward from Barry Mason, but just as he was about to claim the ball, rushing goalkeeper Wright jumped into the young striker and clattered into him high up. The goalkeeper escaped with only a caution despite calls from the crowd for the travelling keeper to get his marching orders. Wilson was left dazed but ok. The resulting free kick was put over the bar by Kevin Brewster.

But before breath could be caught, a Tiverton free kick from 30 yards out took a huge deflection off a Sholing body and rocketed onto the bar, leaving Matt Brown helpless, but he needed to snap into life as the bounce took the ball towards the goal, but Brown did brilliantly to somehow leap backwards and snatch the ball out of the air before it crossed the line to steady Boatmen hearts. And as if surviving that wasn’t enough, the Sholing defence didn’t pick up the forward rushing Mortimer, but thankfully for the defenceless Brown, the right back could only muster up a strike into the side netting.

But after a long week for the club, it was time for the football gods to smile on the Silverlake arena, and on Stuart Mott. A long free kick from Kevin Brewster found its way into the box, and then somehow fell down to a startled STUART MOTT at the back post, who then composed himself and cooly slid the ball underneath the goalkeeper to spark wild celebrations both on and off the field.

But the celebrations didn’t continue for long as Sholing became shaky at the back just as the Tiverton onslaught came. But a bright spark in the heart of the defence was the returning Dan Miller, who commanded the bombardment from the skies brilliantly winning the important headers.

The offensive drive continued, and when the long balls cleared Dan Miller, Matt Brown claimed and commanded everything and the duo helped the Boatmen see out the last few minutes FT 1-0

After the game returning manager Dave Diaper said “whoever scored the goal was going to win the game today, there was some good defending and it was good to see the effort and I think there will be quite a few players struggling to get up tomorrow morning. The amount of work we put in, it was important to get the just result”

On the managerial situation “[I think you can call me] permanent manager now, I’ve got Stuart Hussey as number 2 and we will do all the work we can, and now it is just the players, they need to adjust to a mode of playing, it’s one of those things, it’s not easy. We are in a transition period.”

Report by Ollie Maskell

Photos by Ray Routledge (click an image to enlarge)