Sholing Development 2-0 Tadley Calleva Reserves

Nick Yeomans 29, Luke Bergg 55

Date: 26th Nov 2016 - Wyvern Combination East Division

SHOLING: Josh Milsom, Jack Fisher, Jack Attrill, Sam Gregory (c), Harry Butler, Craig Harvey (Sam Jenman), Marlon Mason, Joel Ghosh, Nick Yeomans, Josh Drew, Luke Bergg. Subs: Jack Barnes, Connor Pearson

Yellow Cards: None

TADLEY CALLEVA: Aiden Hudson, Billy Wagstaff, Gary Farrier, Keiran Sengelow, Vasileios Mellos, Matthew Watson, Brandon Hay (c) (Chris Sawyer), Ian Caldman, Connor Lynch, Mike McLean, Tyrell Reid. Subs: Andrew Trott

Yellow Cards: Hudson, Wagstaff, Farrier.

Att: 39. Referee: Nathan Cook.

Team news: Development squad manager Ian Calder made four alterations from the side that saw off Hedge End Rangers last time out with Josh Milsom, Harry Butler, Joel Ghosh and Nick Yeomans coming into the side. They replaced Josh Helm, Sam Jenman, Jean-Luc Ramdin and Kristian Cozzolino in the eleven from that extra-time win in the Southampton Senior Cup for the Boatmen.

Visiting side Tadley Calleva were still searching for their first league win of the season and had picked up only three points all season, did this not seem to affect them in a bright start to the game. Tyrell Reid fired across the face of goal and then called stand-in stopper Josh Milson into a good low save with a shot from distance.

Sholing were looking to move second in the table and soon began to dominate as Luke Bergg went close and Calleva keeper Aiden Hudson was twice called into action to keep out Marlon Mason. Sam Gregory’s header was cleared off the line by Keiran Sengelow and Nick Yeomans angled effort was tipped over the bar by Hudson.

From the resultant corner, Sholing moved ahead as they got the reward their pressure had deserved shortly before the half hour mark. Luke Bergg’s flag-kick found Nick Yeomans who drilled home from close range, with the aid of a deflection, after Calleva had failed to clear their lines.

Connor Lynch should have done better when he could only fire straight at Milson having been played through, and Bergg dragged wide at the other end after Josh Drew’s clipped ball over the top. HT:1-0

Having gone in front, the young Boatmen seemed to have sunk the second-bottom side when they doubled their advantage ten minutes after the interval. It was the culmination of a fine sweeping move started and finished by Bergg, as he found Mason on the right. He in turn then picked out Yeomans who then squared for the onrushing Luke Bergg to slot home from close range for this 16th goal of the season.

To their credit, Tadley Calleva continued to ask questions of their hosts and Milsom was needed to produce an excellent double save, to deny first Mike McLean and then substitute Chris Sawyer.

Connor Lynch fired narrowly wide and then Marlon Mason went close at the other end for Sholing before Yeomans almost added a third in the closing stages, only to be kept out by the sprawling Hudson. That was the final action of a match that saw the Boatmen rise to second in the Wyvern East. FT: 2-0

After the game boss Iain Calder was pleased with his side’s performance:

Thoughts on the game : ‘Very positive game today. The main thing for me was the way we managed the game. At 2-0 if they’d scored it would have made the game a little closer, but I thought the players matured throughout.’

On improving : ‘Always room for improvement. They are young. For us we’ve got a big squad and we made six changes from our last game so missed four key players today. So the aim is to improve the overall level of the squad.’

Positives : ‘The main positive is that there were a lot of sixteen-year olds out there. They mature every game. They are starting to manage and see out games like you would expect players in their prime to do.’

On a clean sheet : ‘It’s very pleasing. We score a lot of goals but we do concede a few also. For me keeping clean sheets breeds confidence right through the team.’

Words by Henry Flynn & Jamie Spoor