Sholing 1 Alresford Town 0: OWEN Roundell’s second-half header was the difference between the sides in this rather low-key clash between teams from opposite ends of the Sydenhams Premier table.
A hard, bouncy pitch made controlled football difficult, and the match was far from a classic. Alresford’s Brian Howard had the first shot, with just 40 seconds on the clock, hitting a dipping volley that Ryan Gosney dealt with comfortably. At the other end, Sholing looked dangerous from set-pieces; Dean Faithfull headed Kevin Brewster’s corner over the bar when he really should have done better.
A spell of Alresford pressure was ended when Jake Hoole picked up possession on the left and advanced to fire diagonally past the far post. Brewster’s free kick then flicked the outside of John Howard’s right hand post. But the Magpies had the best chance yet when, on 29 minutes, Ollie Yates crossed for John Mulhern to rise high at the far post and head across the face of goal.
There had been nothing to choose between the two sides in the first half, and the second started in similar vein. Sholing, with striker Barry Mason looking rather out of form, were constantly thwarted by the assistant’s flag, while Alresford, with Simon Everett, Brian Howard and Gary Fulker working hard in midfield, competed well but achieved little up front.
John Howard in the visitors’ goal did well to beat away a Brewster free kick, and Sholing’s Alex Sawyer then showed persistence to set up Hoole, but the youngster curled his shot wide of goal.
Alresford had endured some nervy moments from corners, and it was no real surprise when a goal came from that source. They had defended well, on the whole, but undid that good work on 62 minutes when Brewster delivered the ball to the far post and Roundell, unmarked, headed downwards, the ball bouncing up into the net past a defender on the line.
John Howard made a fine fingertip save from lively substitute Luke Bergg as the hosts pressed for a second goal, but the Magpies weren’t finished and came agonisingly close to a 90th minute equaliser. They won a free kick just outside the box, which Brian Howard smacked into the defensive wall, but the Boatmen couldn’t clear their lines. The ball was returned to the box and Mulhern swivelled to fire a perfectly-timed shot that beat Gosney – but rattled the crossbar rather than ruffling the net.
That was to prove the end of the afternoon’s action; Alresford can only shake their heads and rue the fine margins that sometimes separate winning from losing.