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Solent Seconds left seeing red in foul-tempered drubbing by Plymouth
CHIPS, NO FISH, PLENTY VINEGAR... By TOM VEITCH SOLENT seconds Football Team failed to close the gap on leaders University of Plymouth at the top of BUCS Western Conference 3A league after a 5-0 drubbing at home in a hot tempered affair which saw four red cards and nine yellows. Both teams saw a player each sent off during the 90 minutes but two more Solent players saw red after the final whistle with the referee giving them their marching orders for foul and abusive language. Team Solent lacked discipline from the start of the match, after conceding a controversial penalty in the first few minutes after the referee deemed Solent full-back Mark Jordan to have fouled Plymouth winger James Baldeon. Dan Mason confidently took the spot kick putting the visitors one up. Plymouth doubled their lead 11 minutes after more poor defending from Solent giving away their second penalty in ten minutes with centre
back Callum Salter pushing striker James Neville in the area. Midfielder Dan Mason got his second of the game from sending the keeper the wrong way. More defensive errors by the home team nearly allowed Plymouth a third before half time but UPFC failed to capitalise after squandering a few good chances. Solent nearly got one back just before half time when centre back Chris Boxx saw his header go just off target. Plymouth began the second half the brighter side, putting pressure on the struggling Solent defence, with winger Mark Blisit missing the target from one yard. But it wasn’t long until they finally got a breakthrough with Blisit making up for his previous error putting home an easy finish following good work from Neville after 62 minutes. UPFC added to their tally once more ten minutes later after Boxx sawhis deflected header nestle into his own bottom corner to give the away
OFFENSIVE Solent on the attack
Use of foul and abusive language
TROUBLE Portsmouth take control of game side a four goal lead. And they found their fifth five minutes later when substitute striker Josh Oliver latched on to a through ball and found a cool finish with only his second touch of the game. Solent soon dropped their
heads and the team started to pick up frequent yellow cards, seeing three in the last ten minutes, before Dec Edwards had his marching orders five minutes from time after receiving his second yellow for dissent.
Plymouth right back Matt Mcdonal’s mistimed challenge in the 86th minute also made him see red following his second yellow card. Plymouth held on to take a comfortable 5-0 victory widening the gap at the top of the table to seven points. However the controversy didn’t end at the full time whistle, with a few Solent players showing their anger at the referee’s actions during the game. The referee felt that Callum Slater and Maff Young went over the top and showed them both red cards for foul and abusive language. Solent has now dropped to third in the table after their defeat with the University of Exeter Men’s Thirds overtaking them to second place.