Sholing 3 Marine 0

Match Report from Pete Crockett

Supine Marine

One team’s approach to this match was that they were determined to make things happen. The other seemed to adopt an approach that they rather hoped things might happen. Unsurprisingly the team who were the more determined to make things happen won this relegation six pointer.

Sholing started the livelier and Marine struggled to get a foothold in the game. In the 9th minute Charlie Davis opened the scoring with a well struck free kick from outside the box. Those of a Marine disposition might have hoped for a reaction but none was forthcoming. The Boatmen were dominating possession. They also pressed and tracked with an urgency that Marine seemed unable to match.

On 15 minutes more Sholing pressure saw Jake Hesketh play in a good pass to Charlie Davis whose shot was flicked away by a defender. The ball broke to Lee Wort on the edge of the box whose shot was well blocked.

Two minutes later the host’s Billy Stedman tried to play in Dan Mason on a one-on-one with the keeper. A good starting position from Marine keeper Fiachra Pagel saw him advance off his line swiftly to win the race for the ball.

Still it was the Boatmen asking the questions. Jake Flannigan won the ball on the right touchline with a well-timed tackle. He advanced down the line and whipped in a good cross that found Charlie Davis on the edge of the box. He attempted to fire a shot on target, but it was well blocked by Marine’s Mat Liddiard.

With five minutes of the half remaining a Charlie Davis free kick was parried wide by Fiachra Pagel at the expense of a corner. At half-time the Marine players went off the pitch to shouts of encouragement from the Marine faithful who felt at one-nil down Marine were still in the match.

For the first ten minutes of the second half Marine did pick up the tempo. However, Sholing remained a threat on the break. In the 56th minute some nifty footwork from Jake Hesketh saw him fouled in the box. Sholing’s Dan Mason converted the spot kick sending Fiachra Pagel the wrong way and slotting the ball in the bottom left-hand corner.

Still it was Sholing looking the more dangerous. The irrepressible Jake Hesketh created some space just beyond the halfway line. He leaves two Marine players floundering and hit a dangerous ball across the penalty area that the advancing Lee Wort could not reach.

In the 69th minute Marine had their first meaningful opportunity. A Ryan Campbell cross troubled the Sholing defence who struggled to clear the bouncing ball. The ball fell to Zack Kotwica on the edge of the penalty area, but his shot cleared the bar.

On 71 minutes Sholing scored a third. Lee Wort gained possession of the ball on the halfway line. A clever flick around a Marine defender and, like a hot knife cutting through butter, he was through on goal. He hit an accurate shot into the far corner of Fiachra Pagel’s goal.

To be honest the rest of the game saw Sholing comfortably see out the final third of the half. Marine occasionally got into the top third of the pitch, but the two Marine strikers received a paucity of service that frankly left two proven Southern League strikers feeding off scraps,

This was, quite frankly an embarrassingly lacklustre Marine performance. The midfield was out battled, and the Marine defence left exposed far too often – sometimes as a result of their own defensive mistakes but far more often because they were overwhelmed numerically by advancing unmarked Sholing midfielders.

All credit to Sholing who fully deserved their victory. They defended resolutely, their midfield showed more energy and determination than Marines, and they created opportunities for their strikers that, quite frankly Marine never looked like doing. Sholing players who caught the eye included Jake Hesketh and Charlie Davis whose energy levels ensured they bossed the midfield.

Meanwhile Dan Mason and Lee Wort were a handful up front benefitting from a quality of service that Marine strikers would have loved to have been the recipients of. Interestingly Sholing had a debutant keeper in Giulio Girelli. However, no one will know how good a keeper he was from this match because he was untested.

As they left the field it would be fair to say that Marine supporters, of whom there were a good number, were decidedly disappointed with the team’s performance. The players are probably fortunate that Marine supporters are a phlegmatic bunch. There are certainly clubs in our league whose supporters would have left the team in little doubt of their disappointment with what was a lamentable performance in which too many Marine players were outbattled, outthought, and outrun.

With one match remaining there still may be, depending on midweek results, a chance for survival!

Come on Marine!

Editors Sholing Star Man: Jack Hesketh
Editors Marine Star Man: Sam Turl
Attendance: 408

Line Ups

SHOLING
Colours: Red & White Stripes
Manager: Paul Doswell
Line-up: 1. Giulio Girelli 2. Brad Target (12. George Milner-Smith 84’) 3. Jake Flannigan 4. Keane Anderson 5. Dan Miller 6. Byron Mason 7. Charlie Davis 8. Jack Hesketh (14. Leon Baker-Neto 75’) 9. Dan Mason 10. Lee Wort 11. Billy Stedman (16. Luka Chalwell 85’)
Subs Not Used: 15. Alex MacAllister, 17. Marvin McClean
Goalscorers: Charlie Davis 10’, Daniel Mason 57’pen, Lee Wort 71’
Cards:
Brad Target 20’, Giulio Girelli 82’,
None
None

SWINDON SUPERMARINE
Head Coach: Stuart Fleetwood
Colours: All Blue
Line-up: 1. Fiachra Pagel 2. Sam Turl 3. Ryan Campbell 4. Mat Liddiard 82’ 5. Matt Bower 6. Jake Andrews 7. Zack Kotwica 8. Liban Ibrahim (16. Henry Spalding 60’) 9. Dave Sims-Burgess 10. Michael Fernandes (14.George Dowling 82’) 11. Harry Williams
Subs not used: 12. Jamie Edge 13. Billy Thomas 15. Ioan Richards 18. George Dowling
Goalscorers: None
Cards:
Sam Turl 20’, Michael Fernandes 27’, Jake Andrews 42’, Zack Kotwica 43’
None
None

Match Gallery

Click to view gallery
Courtesy of Alex White Photography

Team Sheet

Click here for post Match Team Sheet

Match Officials

Referee: Marc Diaper
Assistant Referees: Adrian Knight, Mark Robertson