Mousehole 1-0 Shepton Mallet
Western League Premier Division
Saturday 11th December 2021
At Trungle Parc
Scorer: Callam Mconie (77’)
Summary
The biggest League crowd of the season at Trungle Parc made it a special occasion as they witnessed the naming of the Solomon Browne Stand in honour of lives lost in the Penlee Lifeboat Tragedy, and Mousehole’s 10th win in the last 12 matches, ending in an incident-packed last 20 minutes.
Pre-match points
Today is a momentous day for the club – the official opening of the Solomon Browne Stand to commemorate the 40th anniversary of the Penlee Lifeboat Tragedy (a full report on the day’s events will follow separately).
Also, there’s a football match to be played, with Mousehole facing Shepton Mallet for the third time in a couple of months.
In late-September, Mousehole won 1-0 away in the FA Vase 2nd Qualifying Round with an early goal by Andy Elcock and backs-to-the-wall character with ten men for the last half hour.
Six weeks later they drew 2-2, also away, and again with early goals in each half from Connor Leak-Blunt and Mark Goldsworthy.
On each of those occasions, The Seagulls were indebted to great goalkeeping performances firstly by Jimmy Weeks and then Ollie Chenoweth, the latter saving a penalty near the end.
Mousehole are on a top-of-the-form-table run of 9 wins in the last 11 League games, and stand 6th with games in hand over the teams above.
Shepton Mallet are making their longest League journey of the season. They are five points behind today’s hosts having played three games more. They have brought a sizeable number of Committee and supporters today – the biggest away contingent seen at Trungle Parc for a League game this season.
For Mousehole, in their last home match of 2021, recent short-term signing Andy Watkins makes a start on the left of the attack, but the other new arrival Jack Calver is unavailable through injury. Also missing are Andy Elcock, Paulo Sousa, Jamie Devine and Josh Magin, while Josh Otto is on the substitutes’ bench after illness, alongside Callam Mconie, Jonny Ludlam and Charlie Willis.
The match – as it happened
It’s drizzling continuously and the pitch surface is soft. Mousehole, in their navy-blue kit, are kicking towards the Cricket Ground End.
12 minutes: After an uneventful opening period, The Mallet create two moments of danger, Jacob Sloggett’s low cross from the left cleared and Fin Haines driving the loose ball over the bar from 25 yards.
13 minutes: At the other end, Kyle Fraser puts in a similar low cross from the left which Louis Price miscues wide from 10 yards
14 minutes: Louis Price shoots low from the edge of the box and keeper Tom Easterbrook smothers the skidding shot
16 minutes: Hayden Turner, playing in a midfield role behind the attack, plants a 40-yard diagonal pass into the path of Andy Watkins running in from the left, but Joel Sisson just about pokes the ball out for a corner
17 minutes: Hayden Turner’s short corner gives Tallan Mitchell a shooting chance and Easterbrook does well to tip the ball over the bar
19 minutes: Louis Price miskicks in the area after a smart one-two with Mark Goldsworthy
20 minutes: Hayden Turner’s shot from 25 yards skims past the post with keeper Easterbrook at full stretch
Half-way through the first half: Mousehole look to be in control, with The Mallet only occasionally venturing forward, but their ‘most likely’ player Jacob Sloggett is now off injured.
35 minutes: Max Hill is up from the back and on the 18 yard line to receive a Turner/Mitchell short corner – his firm shot is confidently handled by Easterbrook
37 minutes: Andy Watkins’ shot from the left is deflected towards the near post and Easterbrook again gathers safely
40 minutes: Shepton have been defending solidly against a succession of Mousehole attacks – Mark Goldsworthy claims he’s pushed in mid-flight from a corner, but there’s no whistle
45 minutes: Billy Curtis’ cross into the six-yard box is deflected by Mallet’s captain Andy Martin just past the post
45+1 minutes: Max Hill brings the ball skilfully forward from the halfway line and his low shot from distance just misses the upright
45+2 minutes: At half time it’s 0-0. Mousehole have had most of the play but it hasn’t quite worked for them in the final third. Shepton Mallet have defended resolutely, with keeper Easterbrook’s safe handling of the slippery ball a key feature.
The second half
47 minutes: Billy Curtis tries a left-foot shot from 25 yards through a crowd of players but it creeps wide of the far post
48 minutes: A left-sided cross to the edge of the six-yard box finds Mark Goldsworthy, who turns sharply only to be denied a shooting chance by a superb block by Martin
49 minutes: In comes the corner and Louis Price’s glancing near-post header just clears the far angle
51 minutes: Mousehole substitute – Max Hill is injured and replaced by Josh Otto in a like-for-like defensive position
54 minutes: The Seagulls on the attack once more – Kyle Fraser’s cross sets up Mark Goldsworthy, who turns and shoots left-footed and it cannons off the near post
An hour gone: The Mallet are being forced back into their own half and are relying on breakaways. In one such instance, Josh Otto is yellow-carded for clipping Fin Haines as he races on to a forward pass 35 yards out, with the visitors demanding a red card – but the offence was a long way from goal with plenty of covering defenders
61 minutes: Mousehole substitute – Andy Watkins is replaced by Callam Mconie, who goes on to the right wing with Louis Price switching to the left
63 minutes: Mark Goldsworthy’s low shot from the right is safely gathered by Easterbrook at his near post
65 minutes: A brilliant last-ditch tackle prevents Mark Goldsworthy pulling the trigger again
66 minutes: Callam Mconie’s inswinging corner into the six-yard box results in a couple of ricochets and is then cleared
68 minutes: At the mid-point of the second half it’s still 0-0. Two good teams – one attacking, one defending.
69 minutes: Louis Price bustles through into the penalty area but slices his drive wide of the near post
77 minutes: GOAL FOR MOUSEHOLE. A free kick is awarded in a central position for a tackle 25 yards out as Mousehole break forward at pace. CALLAM MCONIE takes aim with his trusty left foot and the shot whips low past the defensive wall and into the corner of the net, just evading Easterbrook’s fingertips. It’s the wingman’s 11th goal of the season.
80 minutes: A dramatic incident! Seagulls’ keeper Ollie Chenoweth – who hasn’t had much serious work to do – comes out to collect the ball from a downfield punt with no immediate danger, but accidentally handles just outside the penalty area. Assistant Referee Ken Swift flags for the handball offence and Referee Lazarus has to decide whether or not this prevented a goal-scoring opportunity….and whether it’s a yellow or red card. It’s a red, somewhat controversially – so Mousehole will finish the match with ten men and an outfield player as replacement keeper.
82 minutes: Occasional substitute Jonny Ludlam is the man to don the keeper’s jersey, and he replaces Louis Price
83 minutes: The visitors now have the perfect opportunity to grab an equaliser with the free kick on the 18-yard line and dead central. The stand-in keeper hasn’t had a chance to warm up or handle the ball, so a direct shot at goal looks the most likely option. However, it’s tapped sideways, the blue shirts swarm out and force the ball out wide, and the angled shot is comfortably saved by Ludlam. Elation and relief on the terraces!
86 minutes: Unsurprisingly, The Mallet are seeing much more of the ball, but Mousehole are digging deep and showing bags of character….and fitness.
88 minutes: Shepton are caught upfield as Tallan Mitchell bursts forward and feeds Mark Goldsworthy with a wonderful one-on-one chance to make it 2-0 – his shot beats Easterbrook but also misses the far upright
90+2 minutes: More drama! Another great chance for the visitors as they win a corner on the right. They station all their big men on the edge of the six-yard box for the inswinging flag kick, the ball is nodded down and looks to be going in before Jonny Ludlam somehow scoops the ball off the line. Keeper Easterbrook is stranded midway in the Mousehole half as the home side break forward but again great covering defensive work snuffs out the chance.
90+5 minutes: Still more to come! Shepton launch a dangerous swirling cross from the right towards the far post where Jonny Ludlam bravely gets there first to punch the ball away.
90+6 minutes: It’s full-time and Mousehole 1-0 Shepton Mallet. Fittingly, the winning goal was scored at the Solomon Browne End.
A breath-taking finish to the match for the spectators, with lots of talking points. Mousehole deserve the three points on the balance of play, the chances created and, late on, yet another determined rearguard action against The Mallet (after this season’s three encounters, they’ll be wondering what it is about Mousehole goalkeepers!).
What this result means
Mousehole remain in a promising 6th place in the WLP table with 35 points from 17 games.
Above them are Ilfracombe Town and Bridgwater United (both with 36 points from 19 games), Helston Athletic in 3rd (37 points from 18 games), Bitton (39 from 21) and, at the top, Tavistock with 46 points from their 21 games. Mousehole have the second-best ‘points-per-game’ record in the League, behind Tavistock and marginally ahead of Helston.
The ‘local derby’ at Helston on Boxing Day now looks to be quite important!
A note on this season’s promotion arrangements: the first-placed club will be promoted to the Southern League Division One South at Step 4, and the second-placed club will also be promoted if they win a one-off promotion/relegation ‘decider’ away at the team finishing bottom-but-one in the League above.
Mousehole (with used substitutes)
Ollie Chenoweth (GK), Billy Curtis (C), Max Hill (Josh Otto), Mark Richards, Kyle Fraser, Steve Burt, Tallan Mitchell, Hayden Turner, Louis Price (Jonny Ludlam GK), Mark Goldsworthy, Andy Watkins (Callam Mconie)
Other substitute: Charlie Willis
Match officials: Mike Lazarus (Referee) with Ken Swift and Adam Price (Assistants)
Attendance: 212
Next League fixtures for Mousehole:
Saturday 18th December: Away at Street FC, kick off 3pm
Boxing Day: Away at Helston Athletic, 12-noon
New Year’s Day: HOME vs Exmouth Town, 3pm.
