Media Watch - Sholing

Some interesting games this weekend as Taunton travel to play Larkhall, while Evesham visit Shortwood United. So it’s important that we take what we can from our visit to the Silverlake Arena, home of Sholing.

After dropping out of the Southern League on a voluntary basis at the end of the 2012/13 season, the Boatmen went on to lift the FA Vase at Wembley in May 2014 and also achieved promotion back to the Southern League at the start of this season. Our home fixture against the visitors was not going quite according to plan, but if anyone at half-time had predicted that the final outcome would have been a 7-1 victory their sanity would have been questioned.

The clean sheet that we achieved at Shortwood was primarily down to the excellent form of Tom Bradley, who made three eye watering first half saves to keep the scores level. This season he has been well protected by the defensive unit in front of him extremely ably led by Ryan Green, as we went “back to basics” in midfield last weekend with a comparatively cautious outlook compared to earlier in the season.

About the only thing that we didn't use to try to break the deadlock at Meadowbank last weekend was the potent weapon that has been effectively used in the past to create confusion in the opposition penalty area’s - a Kris Leek long throw - this appears to have been abandoned under Steve Jenkins as he seeks to move away from the lottery of an aerial dual in favour of a possession led build up.  

Loan signing, Kyle Patten has now been noticeable for three stand-out defensive mid-field performances at Bridgwater, Shortwood and in the home win against Tiverton.

After we were able to start opening a gap at the top of the table we seem to have adopted a far more circumspect approach as a way to add to our ever increasing points total, deploying the attacking talent of Kayne McLaggon to a wide left-side midfield role in the majority of away fixtures since the start of the New Year. However, with Ryan Prosser injured last weekend, in the name of obtaining an abortive penalty kick, it’s now possible that Kayne may have to revert to his usual main strike role, if Prosser is not fit to play this weekend.

This is just one of the decisions that Steve Jenkins will be forced to make for the run-in with a long term injury to Jamie Rewbury that will probably keep him out of action until pre-season.

Earlier this week the club said it’s farewells to long-serving defender Steve Williams, who made over four hundred appearances in the Martyrs colours. With extremely limited opportunities this season he wants to continue playing football and decided to leave his post as assistant-manager.

There’s also an important Wales international game to look forward to on Saturday evening as Chris Coleman’s team play their Euro 2016 qualifier in Haifa, which will be one of the biggest games in our national associations 139-year history. Following the promising start made to the campaign, a positive result against Israel would continue the route to qualification for a first major tournament since 1958.

Then we will have what promises to be an interesting Easter Bank Holiday to look forward to!

Sholing boss won't let season just fade away
Southampton Echo

SHOLING boss Dave Diaper has stressed the importance of not letting the season just fade away.

While there is nothing but pride for the Boatmen to play for in their remaining six Evo-Stik Southern One South & West fixtures, they still have the May 5 Hampshire FA Senior Cup final against Gosport Borough to aim for at Fratton Park, and Diaper doesn’t want to drift into it on a tide of mediocrity.

“We’ve got no midweek game, but we need to train twice and make sure we get back on it and keep working for each other. The players need to be competing for places in the cup final.”

Versatile forward/wideman Lewis Blackmore – a former Wales under-16 international - was included in their squad after a successful midweek reserve team run-out for the Boatmen.

Blackmore’s parent club Gosport Borough only recently signed the former AFC Bournemouth academy winger following his return from a seven-month stint in America. Prior to going to the States, he played for Bashley and Weymouth.

Sholing boss Dave Diaper said: “Lewis can play up front, at the top of a diamond or on the left or right. He’s quite versatile. I watched him play for our reserves on Wednesday and he did well. I asked if he could be played up top in the first half and just behind the frontman in the second half. He’s not the biggest, but he’s quite strong and I think he’s a player who will go places.“

Next up for the Boatmen is a stiff home challenge against league leaders Merthyr Town on Saturday. Centre-back Dan Miller is due to miss four games while on a placement in the United States – starting with the visit of leaders Merthyr Town to Portsmouth Road.

Best may not be good enough for Sholing
Southern Daily Echo

DAVE Diaper says Sholing will have to be at their very best to get any change out of Southern One South & West leaders Merthyr Town at the Silverlake Arena tomorrow.

But if the table-topping Welshman are at the top of their game, he suspects that even a ten out of ten performance from the 17th-placed Boatmen may not be good enough to trouble a side who have banged in 101 league goals and lost just two of their last 19.

“If we’re at our best and Merthyr are too, they will win because of the quality they’ve got,” he said. “We’ve proved we can be hard to beat when we need to be, but this is a bit of a special team we’ve got coming tomorrow – especially as they only need two wins and a draw for automatic promotion.”

Merthyr’s progress was checked last Saturday by a 0-0 draw at Shortwood. They had a dream chance to win it early in the second half, but ex-Saint Kayne McLaggon had his tame penalty saved.

“Them drawing 0-0 makes it worse,” said Diaper, suspecting it will only fuel the Martyrs’ hunger to make amends. “I went down there (as chairman) in September when we lost 7-1 and we were actually 1-0 up at half-time. But they came out all guns blazing second half and knocked seven past us. Kayne McLaggon didn’t even score that day and that’s what makes them so dangerous. It’s not just one or two front players you have to watch out for, they score for fun from anywhere on the field.”

All that said, Diaper wants his players to relish tomorrow’s challenge rather than dread it. “You’ve got to look forward to games like this,” he said. “Merthyr’s quality will shine through without a doubt, but we shouldn’t go into it with fear. We’re playing in front of our own crowd and we need to make it as difficult for them as we can.”

Matt Brown will be back in goal, but towering centre-back Dan Miller has college commitments and Jess Walklin remains injured. Centre-back Pete Castle trained this week on his return from a damaged quad muscle, but Diaper said: “He’s feeling pretty stiff.”

Sholing handed a debut to new loan signing Lewis Blackmore from Gosport Borough in their 2-0 defeat at Tiverton last week.

“He came through ok,” said Diaper. “I played him just behind the frontman, but it was difficult because he’d had no training session with us and, when you don’t know the players, you don’t know what runs to make. He didn’t even know anyone’s name!”

Merthyr Town closing in on Southern League title and their next test is at Sholing in Hampshire on Saturday

Merthyr Town need eight points from their last six EvoStik Southern League matches this season to be crowned champions. The Martyrs have four of their remaining fixtures at Penydarren Park and their target for the title could well be less than the 93 points total currently required to be certain.

They have scored more than 100 goals this season and their plus 70 goal difference is vastly superior to any of their rivals. That alone is likely to mean they only effectively need seven points because Taunton are on plus 33.

Merthyr make the trip to Sholing in Hampshire on Saturday, while Taunton Town, their closest challengers, travel to face fifth in the table Larkhall Athletic. Both are difficult trips, but Somerset club Taunton dare not slip up if they are to maintain any hope of snatching top spot and the one automatic promotion place available.

Kyle Patten makes his final Merthyr appearance at Sholing before returning to parent club Newport County at the end of his loan spell.

Manager Steve Jenkins, though, will be without Steve Williams, Kris Leek and Jamie Rewbury. Long-serving full-back Williams has left the Martyrs to sign for Welsh League Ton Pentre, while Leek has work commitments and Rewbury is injured.

Williams was with Cardiff City as a schoolboy before moving to Newport County, while he has made more than 400 first team appearances for Merthyr.

The absence of Leek is likely to mean a recall for Gavin Williams, who went on as substitute during the goalless draw at Shortwood United last weekend after completing his three-match suspension. Rewbury’s foot is now out of plaster, but he isn’t ready for the trip to Sholing with captain Ryan Green and Jarrad Wright likely to link up at the heart of defence.

Merthyr look certain to stick with their 4-4-3 formation, linking centre-forward Ryan Prosser with Ian Traylor and Kayne McLaggon in attack.

Following their trip to Sholing, Merthyr will have four of their last five games at home, two of them over the Bank Holiday weekend.