Sholing2 0Basingstoke

Scorers : Jamie Bulpitt 13, Owen Roundell 73

Date: Tuesday 20th August 2019 - 7:45pm - Betvictor Southern League South Division One

Venue: Mackoy Stadium

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Sholing: Ryan Gosney, TJ Cuthbertson, Marv McLean [c], Dean Faithfull, Dan Miller, Jamie Bulpitt (Owen Royl 80), Jack Nicholas (Marlon Mason 63), Owen Roundell, Dan Mason, Alex Sawyer, Jake Hoole. Unused subs : Aidan Radford, Michael Okubote, Tobi Falodi.

Yellow Cards:

Basingstoke Town: Christopher Rackley, Morgan Toney-Green (Aiden Harris 53), Adam Everiss, Dean Stow [c], Andrew Charsley, Joe Hancott, Reece Rusher (Riccardo Andrady 85), Benjamin Cook, Benjamin Wright, Claudio Herbert, Harrison Cliff (D'Andre Brown 88). Unused sub : Michael Davis

Yellow Cards: Joe Hancott & Dean Stow

Attendance: 276

Referee: Adrian Harris  Assistants: Sam Hunt & Jacob Wright

It was a memorable night at the Mackoy Stadium as Sholing picked up their first win back in the Southern League and also marked Marv McLean reaching 650 appearances for the Boatmen, to become the club's joint record appearance holder, on his Birthday, of all days!  Goals in either half by Jamie Bulpitt & Owen Roundell saw Sholing grab 3 big points against a strong Basingstoke side, who looked lively going forward, but couldn't find a way past the resolute Boatmen defence.

Team News: Was a double blow for the Boatmen, with Captain, Byron Mason, missing out through injury and Brad Targett through illness.  Was only right that Marv McLean took the skipper's armband for the match.  Dean Faithfull partnered Dan Miller at the back with Owen Roundell sitting in front of the back four. Jack Nicholas started on the right of a 3 man forward line.  The Basingstoke side had some familiar names, including former football league player, Ben Wright, who has consistently scored goals in the National Leagues for various clubs.  Also their captain, Dean Stow, was at Sholing in the past, plus Claudio Herbert, who has been on Dave Diaper's radar when playing for Salisbury & Andover.  So, despite Basingstoke going through a period of rebuilding, on and off the pitch, it was a big test for the Boatmen, who were looking to bounce back after Saturday's defeat.

There was a big crowd on hand, with a good turn out of Basingstoke supporters, as the teams took to the immaculate looking Mackoy Stadium pitch.  The visitors created the first chance inside 2 minutes when a cross from the left flank found Cliff in space in the box, but he planted his header over the bar.  Basingstoke stayed on top, with Herbert going on a couple of mazey runs, but it was Sholing who took the lead on 13 minutes.  Dan Mason flick-on was latched upon by JAMIE BULPITT, who had space in front of him to advance and rifle in a low shot from 20 yards past the keeper.

Jake Hoole put over a couple of excellent whipped in crosses from the left, but no Sholing player could get on the end of them as the game remained open and end to end.  Dan Mason had a shot saved before down the other end, Harrison Cliff left fly with an effort that looked destined for the top corner until Ryan Gosney did brilliantly to tip it over the bar at full stretch.  Dan Mason used his strength to get beyond his marker to a through ball over the top, but was just an inch away from prodding it past the keeper as it dropped.  

Basingstoke supporters and probably everyone else in the ground, thought they had scored on 39 minutes when Reece Rusher met an off target shot with a header that crashed against the inside of the post and back down into Gosney's hands.  A minute later and the visitors were denied by a superb block near the line by Dean Faithfull as an entertaining half came to an end.  HT 1-0

Basingstoke picked up where they left off, with Rusher cutting in and curling an effort that just cleared the bar, but as the second half progressed, Sholing were looking more comfortable coping with the visitors attacks and increasingly caused more problems going forward.

The usual rampaging runs by full backs, TJ & Marv were not seen until Sholing felt they were on top, with Marv showing fleet of foot to skin the right back, cut into the area and pull the ball back into the 6 yard box, where Roundell couldn't force the ball home before it was cleared.   Basingstoke's efforts on goal got increasingly speculative, with shots going wide or straight at Gosney from distance.

On 73 minutes, Sholing grabbed the crucial second goal when a right wing corner by Alex Sawyer, was met unchallenged with a soaring header by OWEN ROUNDELL, who headed down and into the bottom far corner. 

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A minute later and it was almost a third as Dan Mason turned his marker and let off a fierce angled shot that Rackley did very well to push over the bar.   It was the same combination a few minutes later, Dan nipped in front of the keeper and found space to clip the ball goalwards from a tight angle, but the keeper just managed to deflect it wide.  Dan probably should have scored soon after when he powered through the middle, but caught in two minds, went for a dinked effort with the outside of his foot, that beat the keeper, but was comfortable for the back tracking defender to clear near the line.

Sholing finished the game on top in a match that could have gone either way, but the Boatmen took the big chances when they arrived and the visitors were denied by some good defending and workrate by the entire team.  FT 2-0

Next Game : Hamble Club v Sholing - Saturday 24 August 3pm - FA Cup Preliminary Round

Photos courtesy of Ray Routledge (click an image to enlarge)

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