Report by James McIntosh
Sensational Second-half, sends Gosport through to the next round of the FA Trophy.
Following a poor 1-0 loss in midweek against bottom of the league Marlow….BORO’ were looking for redemption as they took on Taunton Town. On paper two similar sides who have made nearly identical starts to the season, both reaching the same levels in the FA Cup/Trophy on similar league points.
Ten minutes into the game, the former National League south side showed their quality. Woodhouse playing in a cross which found Down who nodded towards goal. Forcing Gonsey to tip over. Taunton came even closer from the corner as Moulden took aim, hitting the inside of the post before being cleared.
Moulden six minutes later still causing damage, tested Gosney again. Morrison with a defending header passed the ball straight into the path of the striker and taking a first time shot, drove a low-driven effort at goal. Ryan Gosney dived to his right to make a necessary save.
However it was Taunton’s Nu15, Jayden Nielsen who broke the deadlock. Scoring just one this season, he didn’t look short of confidence when from distance he blasted a left footed strike into the far corner. Squeezing past Gonsey to make it 0-1.
It looked as though it was turning into a similar night to Wednesday with the team just not looking on it in the first, as the Somerset side could have easily scored two/three more. But at the end of the interval it was just the goal separating the two sides:
Half-Time: Gosport 0-1 Taunton Town
Following a poor first half, it promoted Pat and Joe into making three attacking changes. Stanley, Tarbuck and Wassmer all coming on.
These changes had big ramifications as five minutes after the re-start, Gosport found themselves back on level terms. Wassmer with a long diagonal ball inside his own half switched it into Kavanagh right of the penalty box before pulling it back to Yearwood. Taking a shot, it was initially saved by Parkes. Pouncing on the rebound, Wooden tucked home a header to make it one a piece.
On the 68th minute, the goalscorer was given a gift of a pass from opposition goalkeeper Parkes. Straight in front of goal, Dan simply passed the ball into the bottom right corner to make it 2-1, and I don’t think he will get many easier than that this season.
Two goals however wasn’t enough as they made it three, four minutes onwards from the goal. On the counter, Lee and Stanley caused damage down the left flank cutting Taunton wide open. The substitute striker then squares into Tarbuck who slotted home, for his third goal this season.
If these goals weren’t enough we were treated to a belter from another substitute. Morrison’s clearance worked out to be the perfect pass, sending Stanley behind the Taunton defence. 25 Yards out, the striker chipped the keeper in an audacious finish which is easily one of the best goals this season.
To add the icing on the cake, youngster Kian Towse (Who came on for the last five minutes) was involved in a great attack, laying a through ball into Yearwood setting him up in a one-on-one against Parkes. The former Beaconsfield man took it around the keeper but a trailing leg from Parkes brought down the attacker with the referee waving for a penalty. Asher Yearwood stood up, and sent the keeper the wrong way making it five!
Full-Time: Gosport 5-1 Taunton Town
After a miserable first half I don’t think anyone saw that coming! Pat and Joe’s changes definitely had the right impact and made for a recipe for success. This means we will be heading into the next round of the cup, after not progressing this far in nine years. Up next week we travel to Poole, so we’ll see you then. But final words from me: UP THE BORO!!!
Gosport Starting XI
Gosney, Kavanagh, Morrison, Walsh-Smith, Lee, Murray, Agbeseyi, Yearwood, Faniyan, Cope, Wooden
Subs: Williams, Wassmer, Tarbuck, Stanley, Towse
Attendance 550
Picture by Jack Aldridge