Bideford 2-1 Sholing

Scorers : Lewis Brooks 75, 81  /  Jake Cope 38

Date: Saturday 22 October 2022, 3pm – Southern League Division 1 South

Venue: The Sports Ground  Attendance: 154 (approx 25 Sholing fans)

Bideford: Adam Seedhouse Evans, Joseph Charles, Ben Wood (Louis Jagger Cane 65), Niall Heeney, Adam Hill, Ashley Mitchell (James Mayne 46), Alex Byrne, Aaron Taylor ©, Kai Fisher, Lewis Wilson, Lewis Brooks (Charlie Prentice 90). Unused subs : Orlando Anker, Kyle Paine

Bookings : Aaron Taylor, Kai Fisher

Sholing : Ryan Gosney, Brad Targett (Wayne Robinson 72), Marv McLean, TJ Cuthbertson, Dan Miller, Owen Roundell, Lee Wort, Byron Mason ©, Dan Mason, Jake Cope, Charlie Wagstaffe (Conor Whiteley 82).  Unused subs : Ryan Cluett, Sami Makhloufi, Josh Batt

Bookings : Marv McLean, Lee Wort, Charlie Wagstaffe

Boatmen returned from the long journey to Bideford with nothing to show after being in front with 15 minutes to go.  Two uncharacteristic mistakes by Gos saw the home side turn things around, meanwhile the Bideford keeper pulled off two wonder saves to deny us late on.

Team News : Rob Nicholls missed out through injury and Rob Flooks was serving the last game of his ban, but it was still a strong Sholing line-up.

The 4 hour trip to North Devon felt much longer, but we found sunny conditions when we arrived, although it would chuck it down later in the match.

Home side had the first chance to get a shot on goal, but a 22 yard freekick was put straight into the wall.  Also blocked was Dan Mason, who controlled well, but his shot on the turn cannoned off a defender.  Lee Wort found space down the right and picked out Cope on the edge of the box but he skied his effort over.

Bideford were employing a long throw from their left-back, whenever they were inside the Sholing half.  It slowed the game down while it took a while each time to dry the ball.  Out of a dozen or so throw-ins, only one created a chance for the home side, a shot flashing across goal and beyond the player arriving at the far stick.

On 25 mins, we should have been in front. Marv cut onto his right foot and curled in a cross to the far post where Dan Mason put a free header wide.  Targett was a threat down the right with his pace, he latched onto an underhit backpass, got there before the keeper, but a defender got to the ball first to hack clear.

We got the breakthrough on 38 mins, when Brad Targett beat his man down the right and got to the byline, before picking out the arriving JAKE COPE who stretched to meet the ball first time to score his 6th goal in the last 8 games, as we led at the break. HT 0-1

Brad went close to scoring soon after the restart, joining up with attack on the overlap and firing a well struck shot that went inches over the angle of post & crossbar.   Bideford almost gifted us a goal on 57 mins when one of their players headed towards his own net, but the keeper clawed it out.

There was almost a repeat of our goal when Brad again, raced down the right and crossed for the arriving Cope, but he couldn't keep this effort below the bar.  Bideford abandoned their long-throws and started to create more chances via interplay through the middle.  Gosney got down well to tip a low skiddy shot round his post, before the home side equalised on 68 mins.

There was clear high boot in Miller's face in the centre circle, but the referee played on, with the ball arriving at Lewis Brooks who cut onto his right foot and his shot appeared to be meat & drink for Gosney, but it somehow bounced over his diving body and rolled slowly into the net.

Six minutes later and Bideford were in front, a deep cross from the right touchline saw Lewis Brooks climb above TJ and head down and the ball squirmed underneath Gos and in. 

Boatmen then created 4 good chances to score in the final 10 minutes.  Again, Jake Cope found space to connect with a pass on the edge of the box, but sadly, put his half-volley over.   Then Dan Mason headed a corner goalwards, it beat the keeper, but was cleared off the line

Much like from Gosney last week at home to Frome, we then witnessed two incredible late saves, but this time by Bideford keeper, Adam Seedhouse Evans.  Whiteley's ball into the box was met by a downward flick header by Wayne Robinson, but with the ball heading for the bottom corner, Evans got down with a strong right hand to turn it past the post.   Then a minute later, after some pinball in the box, the ball came to Dan Miller to hit a fierce volley from 8 yards that saw Evans fling himself across goal to somehow parry away.

Despite 7 minutes of added time and both Byron & Miller playing up front, we wasted some corners and couldn't find an equaliser.  FT 2-1

Thanks to Bideford for their excellent hospitality and for those Sholing fans who made the long trek.

Next Game : Sholing v Larkhall Athletic - Tuesday 25 October 7:45pm - Southern League