Gosport1-5Sholing

Scorers :  Pete Castle 13, Lewis Kelly 33, Alex Sawyer 34, Tobi Adekunle 38, Dan Mason 82

Date : Wednesday 22nd July 2015 - 7:450pm kick off - Friendly

Gosport Borough XI : No Details

Yellow Card :

Sholing : Ryan Gosney, Dean Faithfull, James Davis (Liam Golding 65), Pete Castle (Owen Roundell 46), Dan Miller, Jack Smith (Jamie Bulpitt 38), Tobi Adekunle, Alex Sawyer, Dan Mason, Byron Mason, Lewis Kelly (Mike Spinney 65)

Yellow Card : 

Attendance : 84 (15 Sholing Fans)

Man of the Match : Tobi Adekunle

Referee : Mark Lucie   Assistants: Declan Hellyer & Jordan Mcritchie

The 3rd pre-season match was a trip to Privett Park on a lush, moist pitch with a bit of zip in it. Once again there were a few enforced changes following last Saturday’s win at Cove. Missing were Dan Dove, Rory Anderson & Kevin Brewster after picking up injuries. Jack Smith, Dean Faithfull and Pete Castle, returned to the squad, whilst Jamie Bulpitt made his first appearance.  Gosport fielded mostly players from their Development Squad.

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Sholing kicked off and looked the livelier and inside the opening five minutes Tobi Adekunle put two early efforts over the Gosport bar. Boatmen continued to take the game to the young Gosport side who were watched from the stands by first team management Alex Pike and Mick Catlin. Sholing’s persistence was rewarded following a corner skipper Byron Mason crossed the ball into the area and centre back PETE CASTLE tapped the ball home from inside the six yard area on thirteen minutes. On 28 mins, we looked to double their lead when full back James Davis rounded the Gosport keeper but was pushed too wide to cut the ball back. Gosport were passing the ball around confidently, but without the end product. On 31 minutes Dan Mason received the ball turned and hit his shot from twenty five yards only to see his goal bound shot tipped over the bar by the Gosport keeper.

Then on 33 minutes Sholing won a corner that Gosport endeavoured to scramble the ball away, but it found LEWIS KELLY who scored via the underside of the crossbar. Ninety seconds later ALEX SAWYER further increased Sholing’s lead when he intercepted a pass and went clear on the Gosport goal before striking his shot past the outstretched hand of the keeper from the edge of the area.

Four minutes later and twenty two yards out, TOBI ADEKUNLE struck his shot and finds the top corner of the Gosport net for a fine goal. Before play restarted Sholing made a precautionary substitution bringing on Jamie Bulpitt for Jack Smith who had a tightening hamstring. Despite the four goal deficit Gosport youngsters still pushed hard to find a reply and on forty four minutes a shot from twenty five yards was saved by Ryan Gosney but spilled the save and the ensuing Gosport forward put the ball wide of the Sholing goal when he should have scored.  HT 0-4

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At the start of 2nd half Dave Diaper introduced Owen Roundell to replace opening goalscorer Pete Castle to partner Dan Miller. The opening twenty minutes Sholing were breaking down the up tempo Gosport attack despite trailing by the four goals, failed to give in. Jamie Bulpitt was lively in his midfield role.

On sixty five minutes Sholing made two changes Liam Golding replaced James Davis and Mike Spinney continued his comeback to fitness replacing Lewis Kelly. A minute later Sholing looked to have struck their fifth goal of the game but Dan Mason saw his effort thump against the crossbar. With Sholing seeing out the match, Gosport hit the goal of the game on 80 minutes when a stunning thirty five yard strike found the top corner of Ryan Gosney’s goal giving him no chance. However, Sholing went back down the other end and got our 5th when DAN MASON chested down and coolly slotted it past the keeper.  He may have been offside, but it made up for the obvious handball on the line not given a few seconds earlier.  FT 1-5

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A view from the stands: Three pre-season matches now played, nine goals scored and one conceded, as things continue to look positive. The squad has a nice blend of experience and youth and currently eight different goalscorers. Currently we are halfway through preseason and the squad are knitting together and there are still players yet to make their mark as they are away on holiday.  This could cause some pleasant selection problems prior to the start of the opening League fixture at Portchester in seventeen days time. 

Report by Greg Dickson  


Next friendly is away to Arundel on Saturday 25th