James Wards off Defeat!

Having won three in a row in the league the Seagulls flew up the A303 with a strong tail wind. They faced a Westbury team on a similarly good run but who hadn’t played since the first day of the year so predicting the result was not easy.

Mousehole started the stronger and took the lead after twenty two minutes. A slick move culminated in the ball being shifted out to Jordan Hackett on the left wing. He reached it just before it crossed the line and pulled it back straight to an onrushing Hayden Turner who smacked it home.

At the other end, whilst Westbury created a few half chances they never looked like drawing level. Until they did. Max Hill had taken a crack to the nose and with blood streaming down his face he had to leave the field. This coincided with Westbury winning a corner and Mousehole’s worst fears coming to pass. It was a great delivery and a great header but still a bitter pill to swallow.

Westbury would have felt lucky to be level at the break but that’s how tight things are at this level.

The second half opened with Turner clipping the post from a free kick and Hackett firing a good chance over the bar. It had become a case of next goal wins and the visitors seemed the most likely until totally against the run of play they conceded rather than scored.

Westbury had not looked dangerous at all but they capitalised on the only defensive error by the men in turquoise and one quick pass put them in on goal for a good finish.

Mousehole kept pushing forward in search of an equaliser but as the clock ticked past ninety it seemed probably to be a forlorn chase. The home fans were blowing imaginary whistles but the ref kept his actual one tucked in his back pocket.

With eight minutes extra already played Mousehole won a corner. Ollie Chenoweth sprinted up to join other six footers; Hill and Ward. Hayden Turner swung in the kick, a last hurrah. It sailed over the first man, kept going past the keeper and was a few yards past the back post when the granite forehead of James Ward arrived with a score to settle. The angle was against it, the gods of football seemed against but the Wardy forehead doesn’t care about those things. The ball flew back whence it had come and crossed the line. The celebrations were wild. Not a win but a point well won.

Malvern 2 – 3 Mousehole

Phew!

Not since the 28th of September had the loyal travelling Seagull fans seen their team win away from the comfort of El Parc de Trungle. Coach, train and car trips had, of late, become acts of hope rather than faith but that was all forgotten when Hayden Turner chipped the keeper from 30 yards to clinch this victory. But let’s not get ahead of ourselves.

The day began with fears of an amber weather warning threatening the safety of the return trip but our brave coach dwellers still set off from Penzance at 8am. What’s an amber warning when there’s three points to be won? Malvern stand is a bit of a throwback bringing memories of Cinderford but their pitch is a 5g carpet fit for the age of AI. “If you can’t play on that…”

The match started fairly evenly with Mousehole marginally shading the early exchanges but after eight minutes that margin became concrete when the first goal was notched. A slick training ground move saw the ball end up at the feet of Tim Nixon on the left. He found a half yard of space and whizzed the ball across the box. Feet flicked out from players on both sides but a defender got the final touch. Sadly for him this did not have the desired effect as it sent the ball looping over a helpless keeper and into the net.

Fifteen minutes later the lead was doubled much to the relief of the visitors. Some defensive errors had gifted Malvern a few chances and it always looked like a one goal lead would not be enough. Another great move this time released Oscar Massey down the right. He pinged the ball across the goalmouth. It reached the far post where Nixon waited, like a hungry bear ready to gobble up the chance. From a yard out he couldn’t, and didn’t, miss.

This season has seen a number of points dropped from winning positions so when Malvern pulled one back before half time the nerves in the away dugout were set to jangle. Space was given up as the Mousehole defence pushed up and the ball found its way to the Malvern forward Sam Clark. He used his splendid isolation wisely and hit the back of Chenoweth’s net with comparative ease. The aroma of a comeback filled the air as the home punters queued up for their half time cocoa.

One visiting fan was overheard to say that it was almost next goal wins as the second half began and so it was rather alarming when a Jack Symons hand made contact with a cross and the referee pointed to the spot. An hour was up when the resultant kick was converted. If this was a cup final then the jug was anyone’s now.

Oscar Massey had run his legs off and all he’d had to show for it was a offside goal when the score was still 2-1. He came off along with Jack Syoms to be replaced by Paulo Sousa and Mark Goldsworthy. No sign of Jake Ash playing for a draw here. From the moment the substitutions were made there was only ever one winner.

Mousehole were dominant without quite being able to find the net. Corner followed corner and every one looked like it would yield a goal but Malvern stood firm. Just as it looked like it would be another two points dropped the hitman lit up a dark evening with some magic.

A punt upfield was nodded on by Sauso and landed at Hayden’s feet. He controlled it, saw the keeper standing marginally too far forward and lifted the ball over him. It flew through the dark early evening sky in a beautiful arc and entered the goal just below the bar. Players, management and fans erupted in celebration.

Malvern tried to pull it back but came nowhere near Ollie’s goal. The final whistle ended three months of winless travels and sparked much joy in everyone wearing green.

Mousehole 4-0 Willand Rovers

The day had started with a crisis at the merchandise hut when the door could not be opened. Luckily for all the Christmas shoppers that problem was overcome but it took much longer than Mousehole took to unlock the Willand defence. “We’ve scored too early” is not something anyone has ever said so when Ryan Barrett netted in the second minute there was general delight and joy all around Trungle Parc.

The goal came when Tallan Mitchell flicked a pass to Hayden Turner. He got to it just before it crossed the byline and pulled it back to the onrushing Barrett. The galloping Geordie took one touch and lashed it across the keeper into the far side netting just inside the post. Actually, some people suggested it was a cross that took a lucky deflection but it’s Christmas so let’s be generous. He’s had a stop-go season with injuries so it was nice to see him in the scoresheet.

Six minutes later Barrett turned provider when he rolled a pass into the box for the waiting Mitchell. Tallan took a steadying touch then lashed it into the top corner. Actually, some people suggested that it took a deflection off a defender which took it over the keeper but it’s Christmas etc etc. Regardless of how the ball went it, two nil up within ten minutes was exactly what the seagulls needed after Tuesday defeat to Westbury.

Christmas truly did arrive early just after the quarter hour when Mitchell nicked the ball off the centre half about thirty yards out. He hurtled into the box just to the right of centre and whipped the ball in off the post to his left. Actually, some people suggested that he scuffed his shot and this sent the keeper the wrong way but it’s Christmas etc etc.

Three nil up with not twenty minutes gone and you could have been forgiven for thinking it was all over. The crowd sat back and waited for more goals to come but Willand made some slight tactical adjustments to close down the wide open spaces into which Mousehole had been running. They did create some openings at the other end but their shooting boots had been left at home and Ollie Chenoweth’s gloves were only needed to keep him warm.

The only thing missing from match was a first goal for Oscar Massey on his first start for the club. Fans waiting for that moment only had to wait ten minutes in to the second half. Paulo Sousa broke up a Willand attack and strode away from the Mousehole box with purpose. He passed to Massey who received the ball a good fifteen yards inside his own half but ahead of him was just one defender and a lot of grass. He sped off at pace and ran past the centre half as though he were stuck in cement. He sprinted towards the box as Turner’s run distracted the other defenders. Arriving in the box towards the right he looked up and rocketed the ball into the roof of the net. Actually, some people suggested that he…no they didn’t suggest anything else because that’s exactly what happened. A fabulous finish, a great way to get his first goal for the club and a lovely way to close the match down. At four nil all that was left was to secure the clean sheet and a really solid backline did just that. Four goals, three points and a clean sheet. Happy Christmas indeed.