Sholing 0-3 Gosport Borough

Scorers : Alexandr Barsa 21, Dan Wooden 42, Antonio Diaz 57

Date: Monday 28 August 2023, 3pm – Southern League Premier South

Venue: Imperial Homes Stadium  Attendance: 561

Sholing : Ryan Gosney, TJ Cuthbertson (Josh Rose 60), Tyler Edmondson, Owen Roundell, Charlie Wagstaffe, Jake Hesketh, Jake Adams, Rob Flooks, Dan Mason ©, Wayne Robinson (Ryan Harfield 85), Jake Cope (Alex Sawyer 86). Unused subs : Charlie Fox, Mark Gamble

Bookings : Ryan Gosney, Charlie Wagstaffe, Wayne Robinson

Gosport Borough : Toby Steward, Harry Kavanagh, Rory Williams ©, Corey Jordan, Charlie Wassmer, Alexandr Barsa, Kurtis Cumberbatch (Zak Sharp 80), Danny Hollands, Dan Wooden (Rafa Ramos 67), Antonio Diaz (Harvey Rew 67), Bradley Tarbuck.  Unused subs : Harvey Laidlaw, Harry Medway

Bookings :  Rory Williams, Rafa Ramos

Sholing Man of the Match : Charlie Wagstaffe

A tough three days of long travel and facing the top 2 teams in the division, saw the Boatmen comfortably beaten on Bank Holiday Monday by a strong Gosport side.

Team News : Was a major blow before kick off when skipper, Byron Mason pulled out with an injury sustained in the warm-up.  He joined Marv, Miller, Targett & Flannigan on the sidelines as once again we had to chop & change.  Was the pleasing sight of TJ returning to action though.  Dual signing from Baffins Milton Rovers, Josh Rose, was on the bench for the first time.   The weird & wonderful SL fixture list had us traveling 325 miles on Saturday, while Gosport were at home and then only had the 15 mile trip to our place to contend with.

Another great day for watching football as summer draws to an end at an immaculate looking Imperial Homes Stadium in front of a big crowd. 

A scrappy opening was shaded by the Boatmen, with Hesketh putting a freekick wide and then Jake Cope smashing a 20 yard volley that crashed against the crossbar and was cleared.  

Gosport took the lead on 22 minutes. Kavanagh put in a cross from the right side of the box that found Alexandr Barsa with the simple task of tapping in at the far post.

Ryan Gosney made a great save at his near post as the visitors took a strangle hold of the game, with Sholing struggling to get into the final third.  Unfortunately, we then gifted the visitors their second goal when a clumsy sliced clearance went straight to the experienced Dan Wooden, who said thank you very much and fired in.  HT 0-2

Boatmen were doing better after the restart going forward, finding some gaps, but without testing the keeper.  The points were wrapped up on 58 minutes with a good goal by Antonio Diaz, but also one that should have been defended better.  Diaz picked up the ball outside the right side of our box and was allowed to run unchallenged across the face of the area and then into the left side before planting a shot across Gos and into the top corner.

Sholing kept going, Jake Adams forcing the keeper into his only save of the match, before a mazy run by Cope was halted by a block in the 6 yard box.  However, no consolation goal would come and Gosport managed the remainder of the game to take home the points and remain unbeaten this season.  Was another tough lesson at this level for us, but one to learn from. FT 0-3

Next Game : AFC Totton v Sholing - Saturday 2 Sept 3pm - FA Cup

Photos courtesy of EspieJaz, swipe to view pics :