SHOLING | KEEPING IT CLEAN

155 clean sheets and counting for Gosney

There is a lot of loyalty at Pitching In Southern League Premier South outfit, Sholing, and another of their long-serving players reached a landmark at the weekend when popular goalkeeper, Ryan Gosney, kept his 155th clean sheet in the goalless draw with Beaconsfield Town.

The 32 year-old custodian has been with the club for almost a decade and had played a key role in them achieving Step 3 status for the very first time.

“I am very proud of my record for the club,” he told us. “I pride myself on clean sheets; I have to say the defence do make my job easier as well.

“It was always going to be tough coming up into a new League with new teams and the highest level that the club has ever competed at, but we have adapted to it well.

“There have been a few rocky moments and bad patches, but because of the togetherness we have here, we’ve been able to come through it. A lot of the lads have been together a long time and that certainly helps.

“I’ve enjoyed the challenge that Step 3 has presented to us; being tested a lot more and showing what I can do at this level is great.

“Our mindset has always been to stay in this League and stabilise. Hopefully we can continue pushing on to achieve this.

“We have to get to 50 points as quickly as we can and then take things from there; to do that and for me to keep a few more clean sheets along the way would be fantastic.”

We asked Gosney to talk us through some of his favourite saves from his time at the club.

“The best save would have to be a penalty save against Slough Town a few years ago in an FA Cup replay,” he said with a smile. “But in terms of an overall performance, that would have to be this New Year’s Day against Bracknell Town.

“Everything just went right for me that day and to top it off with a clean sheet was a nice way to get 2024 underway. I’d like to think that it will be the start of a memorable year for me and the club.”

Gosney and his team-mates host Walton & Hersham on Tuesday evening before heading to Hanwell Town on Saturday.

IMAGE: DB Photography

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