MATCH REPORT- Sholing FC 1-1 Gloucester City

Gloucester City lost ground on the title race in the Southern Premier Division South after a 1-1 draw away to Sholing FC in Hampshire.

The Tigers were missing top scorer Joe Hanks from the start after the midfielder failed a fitness test at the ground, adding concern to the away side who were already down to bare bones pre kick off.

The first half at the Mortgage Decisions Stadium was scrappy and lacking in goal mouth actions, as City plugged away but failed to seize the initiative.

Kieran Phillips had the best chance of the first half after his shot was blocked superbly by a defender from the hosts, before Brandon Smalley's follow up just went wide having deflected off another defender and out for a corner.

The common theme for City of lacking the killer touch was beginning to haunt them as the scorers remained level at the interval, as the Boatmen were showing no signs of being leaky at the back, while offering a threat on the counter attack.

Two minutes after the restart, the away side took the lead and sent the away fans into raptures.

After a corner was poorly cleared by the Shoing players, the ball fell the way of Harry Emmett who was player further up the pitch than his usual left back position, putting in an inswinging cross that was begging for contact with Smalley tapping in from a few yards out.

Just three minutes after, Sholing drew the scores level after fine team work from Jamie Rabbetts and Charlie Gunson.

Rabbetts played in Gunson down the left hand side who then returned the favour and after tacking a touch, he tucked it past Jared Thompson in the Gloucester goal.

There was concern for captain Kevin Dawson who nearly suffered a broken leg after a terrible challenge by a Sholing player that forced him to come off with 25 minutes to go, adding another player to the length treatment table at the TigerTurf Stadium.

Phillips who was getting closer and closer with every attempt he took nearly made it 2-1 with 15 minutes to go but again Sholing bodies were at their aid to stop the ball nestling into the goal and the Boatmen rode the rising tide to hold firm.

An end to end final quarter of an hour saw both sides press for a winner but neither side showed enough quality, with Ben Richards Everton header being well saved by Sholing's retiring keeper Ross Worner to ensure that both sides finished the game with a point apiece.

The draw saw Gloucester fall two points behind a Ricardo Rees led Merthyr Town side after he bagged four goals in their 5-1 demolitions of Havant and Waterloovile, while other rivals AFC Totton game on Friday night against Gosport Borough was abandoned with the Stags 2-0 up after a powercut affected the region which ensured the game could not finish.

This means that both Merthyr and Totton have a game in hand over the Tigers as the title race took another twist.