Sholing 1-2 Bedfont Sports

Scorers : Brad Targett 45+2  /  Darryl Sanders 26, Ricky Wellard 47

Date: Tuesday 5th October 2021, 7:45pm – Emirates FA Cup Third Round Qualifying Relay

Venue:  Mackoy Stadium

Sholing: Ryan Gosney, Marv McLean, Brad Targett, Mitch Byrne (Jake Cope 63), Dan Miller, Rob Nicholls, Claudio Herbert (Ryan Cluett 70), Byron Mason ©, Dan Mason, Stu Green, Charlie Wagstaffe (Joe Adams 10). Unused subs : Martin Buckland, Yumo Wan, Tomasz Gruzweski, Luke Deacon

Yellow Card: Byron Mason

Bedfont Sports: Dimitrios Kyriatzis, Kevin Diomande, Jonathan Tadafe, Ethan Kaiser, Joe Jackson ©, Max Webb, Ricky Wellard, Michael Dwayne-Holden (Lewis Flatman 79), Jordan Esprit (Charlie Postance 90), Darryl Sanders (Tom Brunton 87), Connagh Wilks.  Unused Subs : Owen Cartwright,  Ethon Archer, George Gay

Yellow Card : Michael Dwayne-Holden, Darryl Sanders, Connagh Wilks

Referee:  Alex James  Assistants: Martin Bloor & Anthony Smith

Attendance: 398

Man of the Match : Byron Mason

Boatmen crashed out of the FA Cup in very disappointing fashion, showing little of how well they have played this season and allowing the visitors a more comfortable replay victory than anyone would have imagined.

Team News : Sholing kept the same line-up that finished the game on Saturday.  Bedfont were unchanged from their starting line-up that day.

There was a decent sized crowd on a chilly & windy evening and they witnessed the Boatmen take the game to the visitors and dominate the first 25 minutes. Stu Green pulled off the far post and met a cross with a volley back into the 6 yard box, but just too far in front of Dan Mason.  Boatmen were forced into an early change when Charlie Wagstaffe went down injured, Joe Adams came on in his place.   Diagonal balls into the area seemed the best route for Sholing, Byron put a header wide and Dan Mason flicked on a corner, but no one reacted to it.  Bedfont keeper made his first save when he spread himself to deflect Green's effort.  He then followed that up by clawing out a Claudio inswinging freekick that almost caught him out.  There were loud appeals for handball in the Bedfont area, but referees only seem to see those against us this season.

So, it was looking ok for Sholing, until on 26 mins, some sloppy play gifted possession outside our area to Bedfont and a swift one-two saw Darryl Sanders in on goal and he slotted the ball past Gosney.   The goal really knocked the stuffing out of Sholing and we struggled going forward for the rest of the half, until in added time, we snatched an equaliser. Joe Adams fed Marv into the right side of the area and his cut-back fell to BRAD TARGETT to steady himself and finish high into the net.   HT 1-1

Think every Sholing fan expected us to come out for the second half in a positive manner and get stuck into Bedfont, but it didn't happen.  The visitors quickly retook the lead on 49 minutes and although it was a well taken effort, it was poor defensively.  Ricky Wellard had shown on Saturday what a good striker of the ball he was and to not allow him space around the edge of the box, but the lesson wasn't learned and he cut in from the right and hit an effort that nestled just inside the far post.

The Sholing heads didn't drop, but the tempo was too slow, attacks were easily snuffed out and the visitors looked like the only side who would score again.   On 60 minutes Bedfont conspired to miss what looked like an open goal and they also shot wide from decent positions a couple of times. They also had a strong penalty appeal turned down.  Diapes brought on Jake Cope & Ryan Cluett, but to little effect as we continued to try to find Dan Mason with long balls and he was being well marked by both Bedfont centre halfs and when D-Dan was able to hold the ball up, he had little support.  

On 77 minutes, Marv operating on the right, put in a good cross that for once, found Dan Mason in some space in the box, but it sort of summed up our performance that he put his header well over.   As the clock ticked down, Gosney went up for a succession of corners, but it was Dan Miller who almost got an equaliser, he swept the ball goalwards, but it was kept out by a good save down to his right by Kyriatzis.   The final whistle blew & Bedfont celebrated a home tie with Kidderminster Harriers and Sholing were left reflecting on an uncharacteristic non-performance.  FT 1-2

Good luck to Bedfont in the next round.

Next Game :  Thatcham Town v Sholing - FA Trophy - Saturday 3pm

Photos courtesy of HR Media & Jakub Czekalski (swipe to view pics)