Mousehole 3-2 Bemerton Heath Harlequins

The day before the clocks went back the sun was out, the wind was low and it felt like mid-summer. It was more cricket weather than football but here we were at Trungle Parc ahead of Mousehole’s match against Bemerton Heath.

Having not won since the first day of the month this felt like the Seagull’s first must-win match of the season. As we head into winter, points were needed on the board so when Ollie Challinor notched his first goal for the green hoops after just eleven minutes things looked good.

Whilst the possession stats were even in the first forty five it was the home side that looked the more dangerous. The vibrant attacking display away at Exmouth was repeated as chances were created, mainly due to great work down the left by Jordan Hackett and Challinor. Tim Nixon and Hayden Turner both had good chances to increase the lead before the break but these were spurned.

At the other end, the other Ollie, Chenoweth, had to make a couple of good saves to maintain the lead before the break. Half time came and as the minutes passed in the second half it would be no surprise if home thoughts did not lurk back to Exmouth’s late equaliser. Home chances were fewer and Bemerton were pushing harder and getting closer whenever they broke through.

It was with great relief then that the lead was doubled thanks to a solo effort from Torin ‘The Tornado’ Ntege. Picking the ball up just inside the opposition half he carried it left and dribbled it right, avoiding tackles and ignoring passing opportunities. Just at the point where it looked like he may have beaten one man too many without any reward he burst into the box and drove the ball hard and low to the keeper’s right. A gloved hand reached the ball but the strike was too strong, the lead was doubled and nerves were un-jaggled.

Two nil is a tricky lead but three nil is a game ender. When Hitman Turner was played through by Ntege there was only ever one outcome. With ice in his veins he pushed the ball wide of the keeper and cut it back into the net. And that was that.

Actually, it wasn’t. These seagulls like to entertain but sometimes it can leave a queue at the portable defibrillator. When the visitors got one back with a minute of normal time to play it seemed like a consolation but when the ball was bundled over the line again a full nine minutes into time added on it felt like two points were about to be dropped. The crowd were screaming for the whistle and there was relief all round when it came. Three goals, three points and three days to go before Tavistock visit. Get ready!

Evesham 1-0 Mousehole

It’s two hundred and thirty nine miles from Penzance to Evesham’s ground which lies not far south of Birmingham. Departing before eight in the morning allowed the travelling seagulls plenty of time to consider having lost their last two games whilst conceding six goals. We pride ourselves on our attacking football this has to be built on solid defensive foundations and this was at the forefront of everybody’s thoughts as the coach set off.

If a journey can be a metaphor for life, then it was a bad omen when the coach driver informed the travelling group that the alternator was about to catch fire. Fortunately, we hadn’t yet passed Truro so we were able to divert to the garage and swap out of our luxury coach with its hot-tubs, mini bars and surround sound cinema. The new vehicle was a double decker. After a quick check was made to make sure Cliff Richard was not on board; we loaded up and set off for a second time.

In spite of the coach problems, we arrived in good time for the match so pre-game preparations were not adversely affected.

A first half which saw only one shot on target between the two sides said much about the entertainment value of the match. That shot was ours. Whilst Evesham had better chances only one was clear cut. They could maybe feel hard done by to go in at nil nil but their finishing was poor and the score probably about right.

The second half played out very much the same way. The defences of both sides were on top and there were very few shots on goal. Evesham had the best chance mid way through the half when a goal mouth melee saw the ball bobbing about like a toffee apple in a bucket but no one could apply the finishing touch and the scores stayed level.

As time ticked down it looked like Mousehole would make the long journey home on the double decker with a point in their pocket but sadly, like the alternator on the first coach, our defence could not hold out. We lost a block tackle about twenty yards out, the ball was slipped wide to Levi Steele who had stolen a yard. From wide in the six-yard box he chipped a cross in for Alfie Dunn to score with a diving header.

It would be fun to discuss how rare diving headers are these days but losing the match in the eighty-eighth minute precludes such revelry. The green hoops had battled so hard to keep the clean sheet it felt like a crushing blow especially as there was hardly any time for Mousehole to hit back. They actually did force a couple of chances but the final whistle came too soon and signalled another point-less afternoon.

Encouragement could be had from the solid defensive display but the defeat saw Mousehole drop out of the play off places for the first time this season.

Unbelievable

EMF released ‘Unbelievable’ in 1990 and 34 years later BMF departed Trungle Parc with a barely believable ticket to the next round of the FA Trophy.

Having not lost at home for over ten games Mousehole entered this game in confident mood but the weather had other ideas. With winds threatening to reach sixty miles an hour the prospects for quality football seemed low. Mousehole’s normal passing style was difficult to maintain in the conditions and was well disrupted by a robust Bristol Manor Farm defence and midfield. It was little surprise that the visitors ended the first half with four bookings. What was unexpected, unbelievable even, was that with only 32% of the ball the men in blue went in 1-0 up. They scored near the break thanks to great work by Rhys Thomas who wriggled free on the left of the box and finished smartly.

Mousehole started the second half slowly, in shock maybe at being behind. All the action took place at the home end with the visitors dominating possession and the green and whites unable to hold on to the ball. This time it was no surprise when the Farm doubled their lead. A poor clearance was quickly moved forward and three passes later it found Louis Britton who had space and time to roll it into an empty net.

From then on Mousehole battled hard but couldn’t find a gap in the Bristol defence. It wasn’t until the eightieth minute that they finally had a shot, a looping clip from Max Hill that the wind took over the bar, and the stand. One more chance came and went. That they only mustered a couple of wayward shots in the second half meant that they never looked like reducing the deficit. This cup run has been a roller coaster but the wheels came off here and the journey ended with heads bowed. It’s rare that no man of the match is announced at Trungle because normally there are four or five contenders but no one could argue that there was a deserved recipient of the bubbly from this match.

The wind blew, the rain fell and Bristol Manor Farm deservedly progressed into the First Round Proper. As for Mousehole, with five wins out of six so far in the league, they are free, as the saying goes, to concentrate on the league. It’s been a fabulous start to the season with a strongly assembled squad so this blip should not take too long to get over.

Mousehole 4 – 1 Bideford (1st October 2024)

Torrential rain in the deep South West on Sunday might have left some people concerned that the Trungle Parc surface would not be fit for the sort of football we like to play. Those fears were unfounded as, once again, the pitch looked immaculate. Having come back from a poor first half on Saturday the home crowd could be forgiven for wondering what to expect as the teams ran out on a chilly overcast night but it didn’t take long for those concerns to be eased.

The first half saw Mousehole almost totally dominant with the visitors only mustering one shot to the home side’s ten. That it was only two nil at half time was the only surprise. Actually the other surprise was that it took nearly half an hour for the deadlock to be broken but when it was, it was a classic Mousehole move. Ward pinged a pass up the right wing to Mitchell who played a lovely one two with Ntege. Reaching the touchline Mitchell put it into the box for Goldsworthy to finish smartly.

Seven minutes later we saw a carbon copy of that goal but this time Ntege provided the final pass with Goldsworthy again applying the finishing touch. Other chances came and went but the halfway mark was reached with the score at two nil.

As travelling Seagulls know from Saturday and as your correspondent, an Everton fan, knows all too well, a two-goal lead is a very dangerous thing and so there was some trepidation as the second half started. “The next goal is massive”, was being whispered on many lips and the nerves seemed to show as Mousehole started slowly. Bideford were starting to put pressure on the home defence and eventually the green dam burst as the visitors piled forward and forced an error. The ball was bobbling about on the edge of the box without really going anywhere but the tackles were flying in, a Bideford player went down and the ref pointed to the penalty spot. The resultant kick was unstoppable and it would have been no surprise if some of the home team began to think that they might be on the receiving end of a comeback.

To turn the tide Jake Ash sent on Jack Symons to re-ignite the home side and stem the Bideford surge. He only weighs fifty kilos when dripping wet but the boy has magic in his feet. His energy dragged Mousehole forward and not long after he crossed the white line the home team were back in control. Some good play in the Bideford box ended up with Tim Nixon laying the ball back to his on-rushing skipper. The skies were clear now but there’s a thunderbolt in Jack Calver’s left foot and it sent the ball hurtling into the top corner. Some people heard a sonic boom as it flew past a stranded keeper and others wondered how the net had stopped it but either way the lead was back to two goals and the comeback was ended.

The cherry on the cake was supplied five minutes later when Goldie added an assist to his brace and slid Ntege in. There was still a lot for Torin to do as he held off the defender and skipped past the keeper to roll the ball in for a 4-1 win. He was awarded Man of the Match but we shouldn’t forget a couple of big saves from Ollie Chenoweth when Bideford were pushing forward with the score at 2-1. This performance showed both sides of the green hoops’ recent form; exciting going forward and resilient at the back. That’s five wins from six games in the league and left them in second place. Not a bad start to the season!

THATCHAM TOWN 2-3 MOUSEHOLE | Interviews and GOALS | 28th Sept 2024

JAMES WARD JOINS THE SEAGULLS 🙌

We are delighted to welcome former @TCFC_Official, @PlymouthPFC and @Falmouth_Town defender James Ward to Trungle Parc. pic.twitter.com/BU5sCr83dK

— 𝗠𝗢𝗨𝗦𝗘𝗛𝗢𝗟𝗘 𝗔𝗙𝗖 (@MouseholeAFC) September 23, 2024

RYAN TRESIDDER COMMITS TO MOUSEHOLE 🙌

After seriously impressing the management group since helping out in pre-season, we are delighted Ryan has agreed to join us for the remainder of the season. pic.twitter.com/no6lwOQGdO

— 𝗠𝗢𝗨𝗦𝗘𝗛𝗢𝗟𝗘 𝗔𝗙𝗖 (@MouseholeAFC) September 23, 2024

The Lazarus Cup Run Goes On

Having taken advantage of their second chance in the replayed match against Bashley, Mousehole continued their fine form with a 3-1 win at home to local rivals Falmouth. Despite conceding an early goal the green and whites played some of their best football of the season in a comeback win with two goals from Tim Nixon and smartly dispatched penalty from Jordan Hackett. Who knows what awaits them in the next round but the Mousehole Lazarus cup run continues.

Second Chances

It’s rare in life and sport to get a second chance but on Tuesday night Mousehole had just that. Due to an administrative mix-up The Seagulls were able to fly again in the FA Trophy and have another bash at Bashley. Jake Ash made it clear before the game that you can not miss out when fortune shines on you and the boys in green hoops took that message to heart. A quick start saw Mark Goldsworthy continue his golden streak as Mousehole took the lead after just three minutes. In spite of dominating the first forty five minutes it was not until just before half time that their superiority showed as Jack Calver slammed home a free kick from twenty yards. The second half was a strange affair with both sides seeming to be happy with the score but not Torin Ntege. He’d given his full back a torrid night and rounded it off with great finish from a tight angle. That was very much that until a late error by an otherwise strong keeper saw a final score of 4-0.

And so to Falmouth…