Gosport Borough 4 – 1 Sholing

Sholing falls foul to challenging conditions which help hosts to a flattering result.

Sholing, in their striking red and white home shirt had the kick off and the ball quickly found its way to Pat Nash who kickstarted the first attack under pressure, delivering to Fabio Lopez after receiving a short pass from Daniel Miller. The hosts picked up possession but not for long as Daniel Mason forced a turnover in the final third. 

Gosport then pushed further up the pitch with multiple bodies, looking to overwhelm the Boatmen but a faint from Miller allowed Brad Targett to slide the ball away from the open striker who was lining up for a strike. Targett was involved in stopping another home chance, working well with Fabio to deny Gosport any chance to enter the Sholing box. Miller was there again to stop a threatening chance of a cut in by the home side. Sholing showed confidence around their area and then had a golden chance at the other end as Mike Folivi thundered a spot kick to the keepers left after Romeo Akinola was brought down just inside the box.

The lead didn’t last long however, a pullback found the open Gosport man in the middle of several Sholing defenders and the resulting shot wrong footed Nash and drew Gosport level. The Gosport midfield then got cocky and tried to rush and overpower to grab an immediate second. It then got contentious between Fabio and a man from the home side after he was challenged with a tackle from the floor but he holds his own and comes away with possession. Joe Rabbets sent a looping cross, targeting Folivi, who was on his way through the Gosport defence, but he couldn’t quite get the desired connection. Folivi was at it again as he judged a dropping ball better than the defenders, he put through Dan Mason who forced the keeper to come out and save with his feet.

Gosport forward Samuel Alo Faniyan tried some trickery on the left wing but Brad was there again to apply pressure and scupper the chance. Pat Nash’s goal kick was intercepted by a rushing home defender from which Sholing were able to recover and settle down the play with the throw In . Fabio put through Brad after picking up a lowering ball of a slide tackle by Jake Flannigan but Brad blasted into the side netting. Folivi was able to create another chance by himself, sending the Gosport centre backs to the cleaners with a lovely reverse turn but the mud rather than the opposition made the chance slip away. Gosport planted the offside trap well enough as they caught Dan Mason and stopped him converting a pass by Rabbets after Joe ran through the entire home midfield. The bobble was not our friend again as it stopped Romeo Akinola from doing anything with the ball that had been given to him from Blaise Riley-Snow.

Sholing were unlucky to go behind in the fashion they did. The Gosport striker got something to a swinging corner which Nash came out to grab but the ball bobbled just past and dribbled into the nest to give the home side the lead. Brad and Daniel Miller worked well together again to prevent another Gosport chance before the half time whistle blew. HT 2-1

We made a rapid start to the second part of the game, Lopez came rushing and claimed the ball and it found its way to Mason who was pulled back but nothing was given. Sholing won a battle in midfield and played it safely back to Nash in goal. A corner for the home team resulted in them coming down the right wing, a lucky bounce looked to have lined them up perfectly for a third however the secondary bounce wasn’t so nice and allowed Brad to clear. We were caught napping as the hosts pounced on some sloppy defending but the chance was wasted. 

After the Boatmen failed to convert two off chances, Gosport, after one of their players was being closed down, sent a cross in from outside the box on the left side. It looked like it was heading over the bar but Nash held on to make sure. The hosts got their third after Nash was left with no choice but to come out and attempt to pressure the Gosport forward into a mistake but he was sussed out and the ball was sent over the top to the waiting attacker who headed into an open net. 

In the latter stages of the game, the hosts began to show their class and had multiple chances to grab a fourth but for the moment we were holding firm and putting in gutsy tackles and with Gosport leaving some oppurtunities begging themselves. Nash was called upon again, saving a chance from the home side after Jake Hesketh was outpaced. Despite mostly being on the defensive In the phase of play, we were able to have another sniff at the Gosport goal thanks to a Hesketh interception which found the feet of the running Charlie Gunson.

Eventually though our brave defence gave out and Gosport got the fourth as a long ball found the lone winger on the right side, who was able to lob the ball over Nash and it found a home in the back of net. Later, Pat was still able to produce a worldie of a save to palm away a curling strike that seemed in the prime position to nestle beautifully in his top right corner.

The full time whistle went soon after but despite being the better team and deserving the three points, the scoreline flattered Gosport and they can thank the weather for stopping both chances and tackles from us In helping them secure the big win. FT 4-1