Match Preview
Sholing v Tiverton Town
Pitching In Southern League Premier Division South
TIVERTON travel to Southampton on Saturday to face Sholing, who are on a seven-game unbeaten run.
The Boatmen, 13th in the Pitching In Southern League Premier South, have had three wins and four draws in that sequence of results and are proving to be very equipped at this level tasting the division for the first time. Based in a suburb of Southampton, the team registered a 2-1 victory against current table-toppers Salisbury at the beginning of the run.
On October 12, after more than 1,200 games and 25 years in charge, the incredibly successful Dave Diaper moved upstairs into a Head of Football Operations role. Former Sutton United and Havant & Waterlooville manager Paul Doswell has arrived in his place and has yet to face defeat since his appointment.
It has been a meteoric rise for Sholing and, unlike many non-league clubs, Diaper created an environment in which players have chosen to remain loyal to the club. This is personified by stalwarts such as Marvin McLean, Dan Miller, Alex Sawyer and the Mason brothers – Byron, the club captain, and Dan. All are – almost unbelievably – in their 12th season with the Boatmen. Dan Mason has an outstanding goal return: 272 goals in 433 games. The collective continuity of these players, and others not mentioned, is certain to bring a good team spirit to the dressing room.
Recruits such as Jake Hesketh previously a first-teamer with Southampton, Burton Albion, MK Dons, Crawley Town and Lincoln City, and Charlie Davis, the former Weymouth, Poole, Salisbury and Gosport man, have strengthened the division new boys. Both midfielders come with excellent pedigree.
We saw enough in the Yellows’ display in last Saturday’s goalless draw with Harrow Borough to be hopeful of our fortunes changing. Results in the coming weeks will be pivotal to our season.
New manager Leigh Robinson deserves time to rebuild and reshape his team. This fixture and the away game at Hanwell next Saturday will give him a clearer picture of where we are and what is needed.
The welcome return of the marauding wide man Dylan Jones and on-loan Plymouth Argyle goalkeeper Zak Baker’s composed debut between the sticks were reassuring to the Yellows’ faithful.
If we can be a bit more clinical in front of goal and perform as solidly defensively as we did last Saturday, then more favourable results should start to come.
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