Town go down to league leaders

Saturday 15th October. League Sholing FC 3 – 2 Frome Town

A depleted Frome Town fell to defeat away from home at the hands of division leaders Sholing FC. 

Despite a positive performance put in by a threadbare side in one of the season’s toughest fixtures on paper, Frome’s two goals in the first half were not enough and Sholing flexed their muscle in the second half to demonstrate why the South Coast outfit will be the team to beat in this division.  

Injuries have become a running theme in the first few months of the season and, once more, there were severe limits on the squad that Danny Greaves was able to name after a brutal run of five games in 15 days. There were, and will continue to be, absences across the starting lineup, but, during the first half, Frome did not let circumstances cause any detriment to what was a heartening display.

The attacking three of Humphries, Davis-Wilson and Ollis caused concern for the Sholing centre-backs, who, when penned in their half and starved of passing options, resorted to long balls. Instances of pressure like this led directly to Frome’s opener, a neat one-two between Davis-Wilson and Humphries allowing the striker to squeeze his shot under the keeper on the half-hour mark. 

This was just reward for an impressive showing, one in which the visitors looked revitalised after their disappointing draw at home to Lymington in the midweek fixture.

Substitute Wayne Robinson equalised with ease after an attack down the right found him unmarked, but it was only a few minutes before Owen Humphries was again sending panic through the Sholing ranks in another rapid attacking manoeuvre. 

Breaking at pace, the forward cut in from the right and ended up floored by a late challenge in the box. Jamie Adams struck the resulting penalty hard down the middle of the goal to restore Frome’s lead as the whistle blew for half-time. 

Sholing have made a remarkable start this season, winning their first seven games in the league after a seventh-place finish last term. The Boatmen were unfortunate not to make it eight last weekend, losing 3-2 to our neighbours Westbury FC last weekend as they spurned a two-goal lead. Though Frome held the lead, this was not going to be an easy game to see out. 

Kyle Phillips was immediately called into action in the second half, maintaining his impeccable early-season form with two fine saves. But the keeper was unable to prevent a Dan Mason penalty, awarded when Callum Evans needlessly went in with his feet in the box as the attacker headed away from goal. Jake Cope took advantage of a miscommunication between Frome’s central defenders to slot in. Having looked so settled, the Robins had relinquished their grip on the game in just five minutes.

Momentum was never regained, but there were late chances for Frome to equalise. Humphries went close with a well-struck free-kick that was tipped away from the top-right corner acrobatically by Ryan Gosney. The Sholing keeper then produced a prodigious save to preserve the home side’s lead in injury time, somehow diving right to block stand-in captain Warren Maidment’s hammered volley.

Though not the result Danny Greaves’ side would have hoped for, kudos should be given to and encouragement taken away by a youthful side who performed well despite the tough situation they faced. 

Report: Zeb Baker-Smith