Scorers :  Dan Mason 12 & 79, Lee Wort 42, 77, Jake Hoole 53, Alex Sawyer (pen) 75 / Shane Lock 60

Date: Tuesday 2nd October 2018 - 7:45pm - Sydenhams Wessex Premier

Venue: Universal Stadium

Sholing: Ryan Gosney, Connor Pearson (Alex Sawyer 34), Marv McLean (Brad Targett 64), Pete Castle, Dan Miller, Owen Royl, Jake Hoole, Byron Mason [c], Dan Mason, Lee Wort, Billy Connor (Ryan Mackney 83).  Unused Sub : Nick O'Donnell

Yellow Cards: Byron Mason, Owen Royl

Andover New Street: George Baxter, McAuley Stubbs, Oliver Georgiou (Dan Burdock 71), Wade Crisp, Gary Thorne, Luke Neller (Michael Richmond 83), Shane Lock, Max Allen, Zach Neve (Venentra Edmilson 75), Callum Sweeney, Jazz Beavis.  Unused subs: Kieran Le Brun, Alex Thompson

Yellow Cards: Jazz Beavis

Attendance: 71

Referee: James Byng  Assistants: Jordan Newport & Kat Carver

Normally when two teams with 100% records go head to head, the most common expression is "something will have to give" but in this case, nothing did, and after 90 minutes, both teams continued with their 100% records.  For Sholing, it was 6 out of 6 wins and extends their lead at the top of the Wessex Prem. For Andover New Street, sadly, it made it 8 out of 8 defeats, but as strange as it sounds, they can take heart from their performance at the League leaders.

Team News : Dave Diaper was without Jamie Bulpitt, TJ Cuthbertson, Owen Roundell, Jack Smith & Kevin Brewster. Connor Pearson started his first game for Sholing and there was a place on the bench for Ryan Mackney.  Andover New Street were making their first visit to the Universal Stadium as a Wessex Premier team.

First chance of the game fell to Sholing as Owen Royl broke through and squared for Lee Wort, but Baxter saved with his legs. The Boatmen went in front on 12 minutes when Royl's left wing freekick was played into the middle of the box where Pete Castle rose to nod down for DAN MASON to poke the ball into the corner.  All the players looked round for an offside flag, but none was forthcoming.  Dan had two more quickfire chances, heading one wide and firing just off target.

"Street" then enjoyed a period of possession, dominating the midfield and putting the Sholing defence under some pressure.  Marv McLean did well to head a goalbound effort off the line and some whipped in corners were also causing the Boatmen some problems.  However, on 28 mins, Sholing had a chance to double their lead when Lee Wort was felled by the keeper just inside the box.  Wort stepped up, but hit a tame shot that the keeper saved, the ball rebounding back to Wort, but his follow up on the stretch smacked back off the crossbar.

Dave Diaper seemed unhappy with the amount of space Andover were having in midfield and down the flanks and made an early change with Alex Sawyer coming on in place of Pearson, with Royl going to right back.   Andover were still very lively going forward, with Jazz Beavis willing to run with the ball at every opportunity.  Just before half time and somewhat against the run of play, Sholing grabbed their second as Billy Connor slipped the ball into the area for LEE WORT to drill inside the upright from 8 yards.   HT 2-0

Just after the restart, four Sholing players unmarked in the 6 yard box, somehow missed a ball in from a freekick, but it was soon 3-0 on 53 mins when after some nice midfield interplay, JAKE HOOLE burst through the middle and as the keeper came out, he slotted the ball under his diving body.

Boatmen then switched off and were increasingly sloppy in possession. They were made to pay on 60 minutes, repeatedly giving the ball away outside their area and it was one time too many as Shane Lock was played into the area and he finished well into the bottom corner.   

Andover made changes to push forward for another goal and this left them with big gaps at the back which Sholing were happy to expose.  In a crazy last 15 minutes, the Boatmen must have created at least 12 decent chances to score, taking 3 of them.  Firstly a clear handball by an Andover defender saw another penalty awarded.  This time, ALEX SAWYER stepped up and sent the keeper the wrong way for his first goal of the season. 

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On 77 minutes, the goal of the game as LEE WORT on the right side of the area and with his back to goal, flicked the ball over the defender "Bergkamp" style and in one motion smashed in his shot past Baxter.

DAN MASON took his total to 18 goals for the season on 79 minutes, on the right edge of the box, he chipped the ball over the keeper, but it bounced off the crossbar and down to Brad Targett, who squared it back to D-Dan who finished from close range.   Brad Targett saw two good efforts well saved, Wort went hunting for a hat-trick, but put a couple of shots just wide and Dan Mason went clean through, but his dinked effort over the keeper went just past the post and there were several other chances spurned.    So, Sholing made it 25 goals in just 6 League games and go clear at the top of the table.  For Andover New Street, it's hard to imagine their losing run will go on much longer if they play like this going forward in upcoming games.  FT 6-1

Next Game :  Sholing v Shaftesbury - Saturday 6 Oct 3pm - Wessex Premier