Sholing2 1Whitchurch

Scorers : Dan Mason 27, Kieran Winman 84  /  Dave Perry 14

Date : Saturday 9th April 2016 - 3pm - Sydenhams Wessex Premier

Sholing : Jordan Brooks, Liam Attrill (Kevin Brewster 74), Marv McLean, Dean Faithfull, Dan Miller, Jamie Bulpitt, Barry Mason [c] (Kieran Winman 60), Alex Sawyer, Dan Mason, Zach Glasspool, Jake Hoole.  Subs not used: Owen Roundell, Nick Yeomans, Ryan Gosney

Yellow Card :  Alex Sawyer, Zach Glasspool, Jake Hoole, Kieran Winman
Red Card : Zach Glasspool

Whitchurch United : Brad Snelling [c], Matt Austin, Craig Routledge, Jack McCarthy, Zac Gill, Scott Hassel, Cameron Hough, Luke Neller (Ryan Lambert 76), Dan Phillips, Lerone Plummer, Dave Perry (Aaron Jarvis 60).  Subs not used: Lewis Alderman, Tyler Lewis

Yellow Card : Jack McCarthy

Attendance : 96

Man of the Match : Dean Faithfull

Referee : Jon Dolbear  Assistants: Krasimir Petrov & John Harvey

A Youthful Sholing side staged an encouraging comeback to claim a win over Whitchurch despite finishing the game with ten men.

Dave Diaper rested several senior players, and an inexperienced back line was caught of guard by Dave Perry’s header. A Dan Mason penalty levelled the scores, and a late winner from substitute Kieran Winman sealed the points, although the Boatmen had to see the game out a man light after Zach Glasspool’s dismissal for a second booking.

Team News : With no more Reserve games this season, Jordan Brooks was given a run out in in goal.  Liam Attrill slotted in at right back as Jack Smith missed out. Also missing was Byron, so Barry took the captain's armband.

Before the kick off, Marv McLean and Lee Wort received their Appearance awards on the pitch (photos below). The hosts started the brighter, with Barry Mason looking sharp on the right hand side. When Dean Faithfull was able to beat the offside trap his delivery was nodded over the bar by the stand-in skipper. Moments later Jake Hoole was given time to pluck the ball out of the air and dispatch a scything pass to the lively Mason. This time Barry went around his marker and fired a powerful drive at Brad Snelling.

With the build-up of Sholing pressure looking to show, the influential Zach Glasspool clevely picked out Jamie Bulpitt, although the midfielders pull back was cleared away from Dan Mason and Glasspool.

Instead it was the visitors who stole the lead. Whitchurch top-scorer Dan Phillips and Lerone Plummer had threatened down the right, and when the latter run into space he stalled on the ball and had to settle for a corner. The resulting ball in was met by an unmarked Dave Perry and he gratefully nodded in.

The goal was just the second Sholing have conceded at home in the league in 2016, although it was against the run of play. This spurred the hosts on - with Glasspool heading an excellent Jake Hoole cross over and Whitchurch surviving a barrage of shots, managing to clear four efforts in succession.

With 25 minutes played Glasspool could make convincing contact with a long ball, with Brad Snelling in no-mans-land. However minutes later the striker showed a much more convincing touch, holding the ball up and laying an audacious back heel into the path of Jake Hoole. With the youngster through on goal, he was then chopped down and the referee pointed to the spot.

DAN MASON stepped up and fired his spot-kick to the left of the keeper who moved the wrong way, to claim his 36th goal of a prolific season.

Sholing’s top marksman had a second chance but could only shoot at Snelling, meanwhile Liam Attrill arrowed a header past the post as Sholing took control of the half. Zach Glasspool's ability around the box was causing Whitchurch all sorts of problems and he received a couple of late challenges that the ref didn't spot. A frustrated Zach gave the Referee a bit of lip and went into the book. Moments later, Glasspool was chopped down inside the area, as clearly as the challenge for the penalty award given earlier, but the Ref waved it away to everyone's amazement.  HT 1-1

Glasspool was sent through on goal early in the second half, although this time his touch disputed him and he was unable to move the ball into space.

A largely untested Jordan Brooks confidently came to punch a Whitchurch corner away, and Dave Perry could only volley the return over the bar, as one of very few clear chances for the visitors.

However the Jam Boys, were having more luck with the referee, seemingly getting the benefit of the doubt - nevertheless the Boatmen continued to search for an elusive second goal. The energetic Liam Attrill tried to get his side up the pitch with a surging run from full-back, and Alex Sawyer sent two shots wide of the far post - the second from a close range free kick.

Dan Mason was unable to add to his tally, flashing a header across goal and also crashing a shot off of the post after turning his marker.

Another sign of the Boatmen’s endeavour was from the ever bullish Jamie Bulpitt who was well placed to intercept and clear when Phillips and Aaron Jarvis looked to combine on the edge of the Sholing area.

Kieran Winman was introduced with half an hour to play - replacing the injured Barry Mason - but his side remained as lively as ever. Hoole was forced into a quick snapshot, but moments later become the third player in the referees book as the visitors made a meal of a nothing challenge.

Dan Mason had another chance to put his side ahead, but he delayed his shot and Matt Austin was able to recover and tackle. The Sholing defence were playing with more risk though, Dan Miller in particular, angling a weak header back towards Brooks. And when Brooks was beaten by a deft Plummer lob it took an acrobatic Dean Faithfull clearance to hook the ball off the goal line.

The introduction of Kevin Brewster seemed to offer the hosts outlet. Within two minutes of his introduction he had already tested the goalkeeper twice - the second drawing Snelling into a sprawling save.

His third chance at a delivery reaped its rewards too. Dan Mason was able to get a flick at the near post and although the initial effort rebounded off the the bar, KIERAN WINMAN reacted quickest to head in the easiest goal he will ever score, but his first for the club.

Cameron Hough was well wide with his effort, as Whitchurch searched for a leveller, but Sholing looked more likely to score. Man of the match, Dean Faithfull saw his header strongly palmed away by Snelling.

However the game ended on a sour note - with the referee intent on taking centre stage as he sent off Zach Glasspool. That booking - Sholing’s fifth of the game - has now landed the Boatmen with a fine although Diapes men will be thankful that decisions didn't cost them any points.  FT 2-1

Photos by Ray Routledge (click an image to enlarge)

View the embedded image gallery online at:
https://sholingfc.co.uk/index.php/component/content/article/17-2015-16-match-reports/228-sholing-2-1-whitchurch-united?Itemid=110#sigProId0ee729385a