Hendon 3-1 Sholing

Scorers : Joe White 3, Hamza Semakula 26, Shaun Lucien 50 / Byron Mason 79

Date: Saturday 5 August 2023, 3:00pm – Southern League Premier South

Venue: Silver Jubilee Park  Attendance: 221

Hendon : Matt Kerby, Sam Adenola, Lucas Perry, Blaise Riley-Snow, David Diedhiou, Will Dupray, Shaun Lucien (Florian Ada 66), Billy Leonard (Frank Keita 85), Joe White ©, Niko Muir, Hamza Semakula (Gio Palmer 90).  Unused subs : Simeon Olarerin, Thami Mmakola

Bookings :  Will Dupray, Blaise Riley-Snow

Sholing : Ryan Gosney, Brad Targett, Marv McLean, Jake Flannigan (Pete Castle 70), Owen Roundell, Charlie Wagstaffe, Jake Adams, Byron Mason ©, Dan Mason, Jake Hesketh (Charlie Fox 86), Jake Cope (Wayne Robinson 70). Unused subs : TJ Cuthbertson, Ryan Harfield

Bookings :

No fairytale start to our first ever league campaign at Step 3, as Hendon were worthy winners on a winter's day in August.

Team News : Was a surprise return for Pete Castle to the Sholing squad. The FA Vase winner answering the call with the centre back position currently seeing Miller & Flooks out injured & TJ only just fit enough for the bench.  The 3 Jakes all made their debuts, Flannigan, Hesketh & Adams.

Our first ever visit to the North London club of Hendon, but there was the pleasing site in the distance of the Wembley Stadium Arch (our second home).  A nice set-up at Hendon and a friendly welcome, although the weather was anything but pleasant, with heavy rain & a gusty wind to welcome back the first day of the football season!

The rain made no difference to the immaculate 3G pitch, which unless my eyes were deceiving me, had a slope on it.

We got off to the worst possible start, a misplaced clearance saw Hendon break down the right wing and when the ball was delivered into the box, another rash clearance only landed at the feet of Joe White who blasted the ball in from the edge of the box via the underside of the crossbar.

Jake Cope broke through the defence on 12 minutes, being pulled back just outside the box, with the referee opting for a yellow instead of what might have been a red for denying a goalscoring opportunity.  Jake Adams freekick hit the wall and was cleared.   A deep corner to the far post found Owen Roundell who hit a shot that the keeper beat away. 

Hendon were lively up front and quick on the ball and doubled their lead on 26 minutes.  Boatmen were slow coming out of defence, allowing Hamza Semakula to be onside when he received the ball on the left side of the area, spin and curl a superb shot into the far corner that gave Gos no chance.

Our best bit of play of the half saw Jake Cope find space down the left channel and he picked out the arriving Charlie Wagstaffe in the box, but his first time shot flicked the outside of the post.  Ryan Gosney made a terrific save to a stinging shot that moved in the air.  We could have been further behind, but Roundell did well to get in a last ditch block.  HT 2-0

We needed a brighter start to the second half, but within 5 mins, we were staring down the barrel when Hendon scored their 3rd.  Quick interplay set up Joe White on the edge of the box to hit a fierce shot that somehow, Ryan Gosney tipped onto the bar, but the ball came back into play and Shaun Lucien was quickest to react to slam the ball home.

We had a decent spell of pressure and chances came for Jake Adams, who fired into the side netting and then Dan Mason was denied by a good save.  The final ball was also lacking a couple of times, or just evading our players in the box.   Down the other end, Byron timed his tackle in the box to perfection to deny a certain goal.

We got a goal back on 79 minutes when Hesketh curled in a freekick from the left which was met by a downward flick header by BYRON MASON for our first goal of the season and give us a glimmer of hope.

Another goal would probably have tested Hendon's nerves towards the end, but sadly it didn't come.  Dan Mason got round the keeper, but lost his balance as he tried to square the ball.  Then Targett picked out Charlie Fox in the middle, but the youngster making his debut, headed wide.

Not the start we wanted and certainly a lot to take away from our first game at this level.  From watching us rise the leagues over the years, it's certainly a truism that the higher you go in football, the fewer mistakes are made by the opposition and the more ruthless they are at capitalising on yours.  FT 3-1

Dave Diaper : "Not the result we wanted today, but we will take forward what we have learnt, to our next game against Winchester"

Next Game : Winchester City v Sholing - Saturday 12 August 3pm - Southern Premier

Photos courtesy of EspieJaz, swipe to view pics :