Sholing unlucky in defeat as last minute winner cancels out Hesketh wonder goal in a valiant effort in tight affair Surrey.
Sholing, sporting their yellow and blue away strip started attacking the left goal against the Walton team decked out in all red.
Harry Taylor sent a good long ball up field, aimed at the Sholing frontmen but it was given away after some sharp awareness from the Walton defenders.
Jake Hesketh and Walton man Julian Ecclestone were equally matched, going for a loose ball and their feet collided. Charlie Gunson went toe to toe with the Walton defender, appearing to get bodied but nothing was given.
As the home side began to turn the heat up, Sholing keeper Charles Searle read the ball perfectly and calmly cleared from outside the box. Sholing continued to read the home team’s moves well this time courtesy of Harry Taylor, cutting out a through ball. Gunson also intercepted another through ball.
Walton were quick to pounce on the rare mistakes Sholing did make. Taylor saw his pass intercepted but the home side failed to capitalise. Joseph Rabbets had an individual moment of brilliance, beating multiple Walton men and forcing a corner from which Charlie Gunson made the keeper work.
Sholing challenged Walton keeper significantly after Daniel Mason caught a half volley, causing two home defenders to throw themselves in front of it. Fabio Lopes turned in a loose ball, received from Mason but was soon flagged for offside. Walton had their first big chance, product of Thomas Diyott but the Boatmen were equal, sending it away from goal.
The boys in yellow had two more chances in the first half when the ball fell kindly for Seung Yang who hit with all the power but couldn’t quite get the height. The second one came from Rabbets, whose cross had to be parried by the home goalie.
Searle wasn’t afraid to come off his line to clear, sending one into the forest behind the dugouts. Searle was beaten by the head of Dawid Rogalski after he turned in a cross from Jordan Esprit after piercing the strong Sholing defence. Sholing rebounded quickly, Rabbets sent in another cross as an equaliser before the break was eagerly hunted down but it wasn’t found and the first half came to a close. HT 1-0
The first big moment of the second half came the way of the Boatmen, Charlie Gunson whisking a free kick inches past the post. Walton delivered a long ball down to Thomas Diyott but Sholing were resolute and forced the home side to pass around their front line before the Sholing back line cut it out.
Searle continued his fine performance, pitching a sublime delivery to Benny Read on the right, Read created a chance by sending to Mason but he failed to convert. Gunson caused more problems for Walton, whipping a looping ball along the home team’s goalmouth but nobody was home to bag the equaliser. Walton were keeping composed, content with maintaining possession until Rabbets forced Diyott into a turnover.
Joshua Tobin and Eoin Boiger created two more chances for the home side as they looked to double their lead, one being a shot sent wide and a cross that couldn’t find a home. Sholing seemed to have found their equaliser but again it was stopped by the linesman, resulting in the subsequent penalty calls after Hesketh was brought down falling on deaf ears.
After constant pushing and another goalmouth scramble against the stern test of the home team, Sholing finally got their reward after Hesketh saw the keeper off his line and had a go from forty yards out, forcing the shot stopper to backtrack but he couldn’t get back in time and Sholing had secured a spectacular and well deserved equaliser.
The home team, though dejected responded well as did Sholing, resulting in the remaining moments of the game being nerve wracking for both sets of players and fans. As the game entered injury time it looked as though it was going to end in a fair draw. In the last minute Sholing hearts were sunk after Walton skipper Joseph Jones turned it in off a corner and the best efforts of the defender were unable to stop it.
Sholing threw everything they had left at the home side and fought hard to get a last minute leveller, including Searle coming up for a corner to hopefully create a moment of magic but Walton defended just as hard and secured the three points. Both teams gave as good as they got and a win for either side would have been justified. FT 2-1
James Mclean Sports 
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