Sholing Development 3-0 Bosham Reserves

Scorers: Marlon Mason 51 pen, Jake Hoole 78, Jack Attrill 81

Date: Friday 25^th August 2017 – 19:45 pm kick off – Wyvern Combination East Division

Venue: The Universal Stadium

Sholing: Aaron Whitmarsh, Jean-Luc Ramdin, Jack Attrill, Harvey Craig, Duncan Brown[c], Cameron Ross, Marlon Mason (Jamie Staples 65), Callum Waughman (Ryan Farrant 75), Rory Wood (Tanaka Madzvamutse 80), Jamie Blackburn, Jake Hoole  Subs not used:. Fraser McLean & Liam Attrill

Yellow Card: Harvey Craig

Bosham: Jazz Bray, Danny Long, Ryan Jones, Curtis Blake [c], Callum Fewell, Darnell Patrick, Ryan  Coombes, Ollie Sturt, Harry Lidster (Will Lewis 61), Luke James, Tom Gray (Ife Aina 71) . Subs not used: None

Yellow Card: Curtis Blake, Callum Fewell & Jazz Bray

Attendance: 62 Referee: Callum McFarlene

Man of the Match: Jake Hoole

Sholing's development side got their first win 48 hours after their draw at AFC Stoneham. The young Boatmen were up against a Bosham side that looked like they twice their age. A good all round performance from the young Boatmen eclipsed the Bosham tactics that was more suited to rugby.

Team News: Sholing once again had a changed line up with players working and away at Festivals. Steve Blackburn even relied on Cameron Ross coming back from his 1^st day’s holiday for his Development debut. With Jean-Luc not available for the 1^st team he was able to fill in for Blackers. Aaron Whitmarsh stepped in for the holidaying Josh Helm. Also good news was that Marlon Mason had recover from the illness he suffered during the AFC Stoneham match.

The game commenced under picturesque blue skies followed by a perfect blue moon under the floodlit stadium and a crowd boosted by 1^st team supporters attending. Jean-Luc Ramdin was generating his pace down the right side of the pitch causing Ryan Jones a lot of issues. On eight minutes Jean-Luc cut inside again and sent in a rasping shot that just went wide of Bray’s goal. Jake Hoole on the left was also running the Bosham defence a little ragged and his cut in set up Rory Wood whose snap shot was deflected away for the first corner of the game. Bosham were presented with their first chance on fifteen minutes when skipper Duncan Brown fouled Tom Gray just outside the penalty area, but Ollie Sturt placed his free kick over Aaron Whitmarsh’s bar. Sholing were awarded another free kick for a heavy challenge Jamie Blackburn took the kick and found Rory Wood’s head but his effort was deflected wide for another corner.

We then had a delay in play when goalkeeper Jazz Bray needed time to recover following an injury from the collision with Marlon Mason both going for a loose ball. On thirty minutes the first scare for Sholing occurred when Aaron Whitmarsh parried a cross and with Jack Attrill facing his goal deflected the ball goal wards but the full back reacted quick enough to reach the ball and hook away for a throw in.

A minute later eventually referee McFarlene produced a yellow card when centre back Callum Fewell wiped out Marlon Mason right on the touch line resulting in the centre back colliding with the pitch side fencing before being cautioned. A flurry of free kicks ensued through the pace of Jake Hoole & Jean-Luc Ramdin as well as the young Boatmen playing the ball around frustrating the Bosham players. The Boatmen again were denied a goal from Rory Wood when Jazz Bray parried away his shot to maintain the deadlock. HT 0-0

The second half commenced under a blue moon and the strong aroma of chips filling the night air along with what appeared to be a rave emulating from the Bowls club. Sholing got off to the perfect start five minutes in when Marlon Mason was upended by Jazz Bray inside the six yard area but referee McFarlene only showed the Bosham keeper a yellow card deeming he had made a genuine attempt to get the ball. Marlon Mason stepped up and put his spot kick the other side of Bray into the net. This goal spurred the Boatmen to step up a gear and their tireless running was certainly taking its toll on the Bosham player’s fitness.

On sixty one minutes Bosham made their first substitution bringing on Will Lewis for Harry Lidster who was getting no joy from debutant Cameron Ross. Four minutes later Steve Blackburn decided fresh legs were needed to keep the high intensity of the game Marlon Mason was replaced by Jamie Staples. The winger got into the game immediately producing so good runs deep down the wings. Likewise on the right Jean-Luc & Jake Hoole were continuing to cause the Bosham defence trouble. With Bosham only naming two subs they made their final change on seventy one minutes replacing Tom Gray with Ife Aina. Two minutes later saw two cautions within sixty seconds Harvey Craig was adjudged to have fouled Sturt, then it was Bosham captain Curtis Blake for a foul on Jean-Luc Ramdin.

Ryan Farrant was called upon to replace Callum Waughman again just to freshen up the legs following Wednesday night’s game. Steve Blackburn’s tactics were rewarded when on seventy eight minutes Sholing finally breeched the Bosham goal for the second time it was Jamie Staples pace and cross found Jamie Blackburn but the midfielders effort was blocked and cleared but fell to Jake Hoole some twenty plus yards out whose left footed shot looped over Jazz Bray. A series of corners kept Sholing on the front foot with Aaron Whitmarsh a virtual spectator in the Sholing goal.

Steve Blackburn made his final change with ten minutes to go with Tanaka Madzvamutse replacing centre forward Rory Wood. A minute later Sholing capitalised a good team performance when Jake Hoole’s corner was drilled in and found full back Jack Attrill to slot the ball home from inside the six yard area. In the dying minutes of the game Bosham had one last chance to get on the score sheet. Ife Aina’s free kick was parried away by Aaron Whitmarsh for a corner and this was the last action of the match.  FT 3-0

Steve Blackburn reflected on a good all round team performance “Tonight the boys stepped up to the plate 48 hours after the Stoneham draw. It was a good all round performance with a good debut for Cameron Ross who now has given me a good problem with team selection for Wednesday night’s trip to Petersfield. Tonight’s home win hopefully has put us in good stead for the coming long season and with players coming in filling places the squad looks strong enough to compete this season we now move on to two more league games next week ”.

Report by Greg Dickson

Photos by Debbie Whitmarsh