AFC Totton 5-1 Sholing

Scorers : Alfie Stanley 28 & 47, Leon Maloney 46 & 61, Scott Rendell 66 / Wayne Robinson 35

Date: Saturday 2 September 2023, 3pm – FA Cup First Round Qualifying

Venue: Snows Stadium  Attendance: 544

Sholing : Ryan Gosney, TJ Cuthbertson (Fin Du Port 65), Jake Flannigan (Tyler Edmondson 38), Pete Castle, Owen Roundell, Charlie Wagstaffe, Jake Adams, Byron Mason ©, Dan Mason, Wayne Robinson (Ryan Harfield 65), Jake Cope. Unused subs : Charlie Fox, Josh Rose, Mark Gamble

Bookings : Charlie Wagstaffe, Dan Mason

Boatmen were dumped out the FA Cup and suffered our biggest defeat in 9 years in an afternoon to forget at Totton.

Team News : Yet more injuries & suspensions left us with no option but to have several players start the game who were not fully fit.

Was little of note in a cagey opening until Totton took the lead on 28 minutes when Tomasso's shot pinged against the post and Stanley was on hand to hit in the rebound via a deflection.  With our first effort on goal, we equalised on 34 minutes with a nicely worked buildup seeing Cope set the ball for WAYNE ROBINSON to stroke past the keeper.

The home side had more attacking threat in the remainder of the first half, but we went into the break level with it all to play for in the second half...  HT 1-1

... But any hope of progressing in the FA Cup was extinquished within 3 minutes of the restart. Leon Maloney smashed the ball past Gos, high at the near post.  Then Alfie Stanley guided a shot from the edge of the box into the bottom corner.

The 4th goal arrived on 61 mins, the Sholing defence opening up to allow Leon Maloney to dink the ball over the exposed Gosney.  More poor defending, this time for a corner allowed Scott Rendell to score inside the 6 yard box.

Thankfully, that was the end of the scoring as the impressive Totton coasted through to the next round. We now have to lick our wounds, regroup and work harder to make ourselves competitive again while these injuries & suspensions handicap us.  FT 5-1

Next Game : Harrow Borough v Sholing - Saturday 9 Sept 3pm - Southern League Premier