Scorers : Rex Mannings 85
Date: Saturday 2 November 2019 - 3:00pm - Betvictor Southern League South Divison One
Venue: Badgers Hill Stadium
Frome Town: Robert Brown, Mark Cooper, Joseph O'loughlin, Samuel Teal ©, Alex Hallett, Matt Smith (Chris Peck 85), Robert Hobbs, Kane Simpson, Martin Lenihan (Jonathan Davies 64), Rex Mannings, Daniel Cottle (Alex Monks 64). Unused subs : Warren Maidment, Marcus Mapstone
Yellow Cards:
Sholing: Ryan Gosney, TJ Cuthbertson, Marv Mclean, Owen Roundell, Dan Miller, Jamie Bulpitt, Lee Wort, Byron Mason ©, Dan Mason, Alex Sawyer, Jake Hoole (Jack Nicholas 73). Unused subs : Owen Royl, Tobi Falodi, James Lauder
Yellow Cards:
Attendance: 217
Referee: Brian White Assistants: Robert Finn & Timothy Bunt
A cruel defeat for the Boatmen who looked set for a deserved point at the league leaders, but in the end were denied by an 85th minute winner.
In swirling wind and the occasional heavy downpour, Frome started the better by playing some difficult deliveries into the penalty area that were brilliantly dealt with by the Sholing defence. There was one wobbly moment when the dangerous looking Rex Mannings played a cross that Ryan Gosney parried straight into the path of the lurking Kane Simpson. However, the Sholing keeper quickly closed the angle of the home striker and smothered the low shot with his legs.
After weathering the early storm, Sholing began to have a spell of possession and this led to a few half chances around the fifteen minute mark. Firstly Jake Hoole sent a low twenty-five yard free-kick straight at the wall, before a long-throw was partially cleared straight into the path of the onrushing Dan Mason. The away striker’s powerful half volley was just over the crossbar from twenty-five yards out.
Frome responded to this early warning by going down the other end and created the best chance in the eighteenth minute. Rex Mannings found himself in space from an angle and rounded Ryan Gosney but the shot wasn’t there. Therefore, he fed the ball back into the path of Kane Simpson. The striker’s low shot was blocked by the legs of the Sholing keeper before being cleared away off the line by Owen Roundell.
Early attacking play was then dampened by a torrential downpour and a spell of troubling wind that resulted in a slight lull of around ten minutes. Frome did however dominate the possession as Sholing tried to play long balls forward, with the home side forcing another save from Ryan Gosney on the half-hour mark. Left back Joseph O’ Loughlin was allowed to advance forward and sent a fierce effort towards goal that was brilliantly tipped over the bar by the Sholing keeper.
Although the visitors did have some openings and a few set pieces throughout the first half, they were smothered by some solid Frome defending and this prevented the Boatmen from creating a clear cut chance. The home side saved their best opportunity for the 42nd minute before the break when a fine through-ball found Kane Simpson through on goal. Luckily the striker’s long-distance effort hit the base of the post with Ryan Gosney beaten and was cleared away to ensure the scores stayed goal-less at the half time whistle. HT: 0-0
Sholing came out for the second half in attacking mode, moving the ball quicker and creating opportunities with the wind and rain now at their backs. In the forty-seventh minute Alex Sawyer saw an effort just wide before Lee Wort had a shot deflected for a corner. Ten minutes later Frome goalie Robert Brown was forced into a save after Dan Mason’s effort from an angle seemed to be heading towards the bottom corner.
It wasn’t all one way traffic as Frome looked consistently dangerous on the counter-attack. From a Sholing corner the home side advanced forward at speed with Matthew Leniham finding the unmarked Rex Manning who dragged an effort towards the corner flag.
Frome went close when Jonathan Davis curled an effort off the top of the crossbar whilst a shot by Rex Mannings was cleared off the line after another solid save by Ryan Gosney. The eightieth minute seemed to spark the visitors into life again and Ryan Gosney found himself playing as a crucial element of Sholing attacking play, with his long ball finding Dan Mason to flick into the overlapping Byron n in space. However the skipper fired just wide of the far post with a low angled effort. The Boatmen also had a succession of three straight corners with the deliveries proving tricky for the home side until Frome finally took advantage of the Sholing defenders being out of position.
Alex Sawyer’s corner was overhit in a gust of wind and this allowed the Frome defence to clear forward into the channels. Rex Mannings found himself through on goal on the half way line and advanced before calmly slotting home underneath Ryan Gosney into the bottom right corner with just six minutes left. This goal sparked celebrations of relief from the home supporters who had previously been subdued, whilst breaking hearts of the Sholing fans, players and management alike. FT: 1-0
Report by Connor Steel
Dave Diaper said : "Gutted today that we lost to a late goal at Frome Town. They are top and we are 15th, but we were the better team for large periods of the game. Frome are a good side but we opened them up and on another day could have come away with 3 points."