Mousehole Reserves rounded off the 2018/19 campaign with a creditable draw in the Trelawny League Premier Division against higher-placed Camborne School of Mines on a beautiful evening at Marazion on 21st May.

The Reserves have enjoyed unprecedented success over the last two years, gaining promotion as champions of Division One last season and then winning the Cornwall Junior Cup for the first time ever at the beginning of this month.

As an indication of ambition, the club had applied for the Reserves to become members of the proposed new St Piran League, which if accepted would mean a jump of two steps in the non-league pyramid and in effect a total of three promotions in two years.

And just this week the Reserves’ membership of the new Step 7 League was confirmed as a result of their playing record in the Premier Division this season, and so they will be starting next season just one division below Mousehole’s First Team, themselves promoted to the new Peninsula Premier League.

The Reserves started their last game of the season well against Camborne School of Mines, and presented a real threat without capitalising on several chances.

However, after Tom Hands was brought down in the CSOM penalty box, Michael Fitchett stepped up to convert the spot kick for a 1-0 lead after 12 minutes.

Jonathan Fitchett in the Mousehole goal made a fine save towards the end of the half to deny the visitors an equaliser.

The pitch surface was proving to be very hard, with the bounce of the ball creating difficulties for both sides.

CSOM dominated the early stages of the second half with some energetic and determined play, chipping the ball over keeper Fitchett after a good move – but against the Mousehole crossbar with no attackers following up.

The visitors continued to press and scored the equaliser, after which they went all out for the winner, only to be thwarted by a series of good saves by Fitchett.

Mousehole Reserves squad:

Jason Simmonds, Joe Davies, Jacob Trudgeon, Jonathan Fitchett, Harry Tonkin, Tom Hands, Michael Fitchett, Matthew Howes, Tom McGarry, Tom Hooper, Luke Carroll, Nathan Goodspeed

FROGPOOL & CUSGARNE 1-2 MOUSEHOLE RESERVES

CORNWALL JUNIOR CUP SEMI-FINAL

TUESDAY 26th MARCH 2019

AT KELLAWAY PARK, HELSTON ATHLETIC AFC

In front of a large and noisy crowd, Mousehole Reserves were hard pressed to survive a first-half series of scares before settling this tie with a much-improved performance after the interval.

The Seagulls had never before reached the semi-final of Cornwall’s oldest Cup competition, and for the first 45 minutes it looked as though that would be the end of this season’s journey.

Frogpool, who currently lead their Division with 17 wins from 22 league matches, dominated the opening half, exploiting gaps with quick passing and strong forward runs.  Mousehole were unable to impose themselves on the pattern of play and relieved to get through to half-time at 0-0, after the woodwork kept out fierce drives from easy chances on two occasions, keeper Dom Angove pulled off a stunning save on 17 minutes to keep out a harshly awarded penalty, and three other promising positions were wasted.

Some changes in personnel and tactics transformed the balance of play right from the start of the second period, with Mousehole closing down the space and passing with greater care.  And ten minutes in, Michael Fitchett showed his opponents how to put away a chance when he nipped in front of his marker to steer a low cross inside the near post with a deft touch to make it 1-0.

Now full of confidence, and spurred on by their big contingent of supporters, The Seagulls started to dominate proceedings, with little seen of the attacking threat that had seen them on the back foot for the whole of the first half.  Caleb Marsden doubled the lead on 78 minutes, finding space on the edge of the box after a corner to place a carefully aimed shot into the net.

Frogpool came back into the game in the last few minutes, Sam MacWilliam reducing the arrears in the 88th minute, but a minute later Callum George nearly made the game safe at the other end with a drive that cannoned off the crossbar and down on to the line.  Dom Angove had the last word in the 95th minute, denying an equaliser and removing the prospect of extra time by bravely blocking a close-range shot.

Mousehole Reserves have played away in every round of the Junior Cup this season, and will now face in the Final on Sunday 5th May (venue to be confirmed) the winners of tonight’s other semi-final between Foxhole Stars and Illogan RBL Reserves being played at Penryn Athletic AFC.

*Strange but true: Helston’s Kellaway Park was the venue this time last year when Mousehole’s First team also created history by winning their first-ever Cornwall Senior Cup semi-final against St Austell.

Scorers: Mousehole – Michael Fitchett 56, Caleb Marsden 78.  Frogpool – Sam MacWilliam 88.

Referee:  Neil Stephens     Attendance: 203

MOUSEHOLE 2-1 LISKEARD ATHLETIC

SOUTH WEST PENINSULA LEAGUE, DIVISION 1 WEST

SATURDAY 23rd FEBRUARY 2019

AT TRUNGLE PARC

 

MOUSEHOLE’S ‘MATCH OF THE DAY’ VICTORY ENDS LEADERS’ LONG UNBEATEN RUN

 

At a damp and increasingly foggy Trungle Parc, Mousehole hosted their first home match for six weeks against a table-topping Liskeard Athletic side boasting the only unbeaten record among all 52 clubs in the three Divisions of the South West Peninsula League, with 14 wins in their 17 matches so far this season.

 

But The Seagulls themselves had already built an impressive 100% record in 2019, and with goals just before and after half-time deservedly sent the visitors back empty-handed to end their chance of emulating Mousehole’s own record-breaking unbeaten campaign in 2015/16.

 

Two surviving members of that championship-winning team – captain Billy Curtis and Liam Andrew – played a major role in the win as part of a superbly marshalled defensive partnership of local players that effectively blunted Liskeard’s high-scoring attack.

 

A minute’s applause was held before kick-off in honour of Edwin Jeffries, the former player and lifelong Seagulls supporter, as well as a much-decorated D-Day Landings veteran, who died on Friday aged 95.

 

The game was fiercely contested from the start, keeping referee Simon Long busy dealing with several uncompromising challenges as well as the visitors’ continual attempts to influence his decisions.  But as the game progressed it was Mousehole’s footballing style that made them the stronger side and apart from one scare midway through the second half they came through confidently to claim all three points.

 

Liskeard started the brighter of the two teams and it was hardly a surprise when James Lorenz added to his 40-goal tally in the 16th minute as he raced on to a simple through ball to open the scoring.  And just three minutes later it was nearly 2-0 to the visitors, captain Jack Podmore shooting wide from 15 yards.

 

Mousehole were having to work hard at this stage to combat the impact of ball-carrying midfielder Jarrad Woods and the lurking menace of Lorenz, but they gradually succeeded in imposing themselves on the game.  On 22 minutes Lez Cela’s goalbound volley from Dan Osomebi’s cross was deflected for a corner and from the flag kick appeals for a penalty for handball were turned away.  Meanwhile at the other end Podmore was wide with a near-post header from a corner.  Ben Williams then came up for a Kevin Nicholson free kick but put his attempt wide at the far post on 37.

 

The Seagulls’ persistence paid off three minutes before the interval with an equaliser to give fresh impetus to the half-time team talk.  After Ben Williams had again come close, a short corner on the right was played to Paulo Sousa and his low cross into a crowded area from the angle of the penalty box was touched home for a debut goal by Dan Osomebi from 8 yards.  The scorer then sprinted clear from inside his own half on 44 after a dangerous-looking Liskeard attack had been broken up, only for keeper Jamie Blatchford to smother the chance.

 

Mousehole started the second period on the front foot in worsening visibility on the pitch.  It was a characteristic strike from Mousehole’s top scorer that put the home side into the lead in the 51st minute.  Osomebi’s lofted cross from the left was headed back across the six yard line by Paulo Sousa from beyond the far post, where Gerens James for once got the better of his close marker Dylan Peel, chesting the ball down with great composure and driving home in one movement.

 

Hamza Kaid almost made it 3-1 in the 55th minute, Blatchford blocking the shot after a classy interchange of passing on the right had prised open the visitors’ defence.  Back came Liskeard and substitute Sam Rogers’ first touch was a 20-yard volley that flew marginally high and wide. And The Blues came close to salvaging their remarkable record in an amazing few seconds in the 71st minute, when they had a header cleared off the line, volleyed the clearance against the upright, and saw keeper Jason Robertson tip over a header from the rebound.

 

That was the last seen of the visitors’ attacking threat as Mousehole completely controlled the remainder of the game, with Blatchford again keeping the score down with big saves from Lez Cela on 74 and substitute Amin Ahmed on 80, with the latter also miscontrolling a great chance in front of goal on 89.

 

The scene is now set for an exciting last two months of the league season, with just seven points separating the top five teams.  Mousehole are in 5th place, five points behind Liskeard, who have a game in hand, and seven points behind the new leaders Porthleven, who have played a game more.  St Dennis and Wadebridge Town are one point ahead of The Seagulls having played four and two games more, respectively, and with much worse goal differences.  Significantly, seven of Mousehole’s last nine games are at home, including against both Wadebridge and Porthleven – the latter being the last match of the season – with an away trip to St Dennis a few days before.

Meanwhile, Mousehole’s next fixture is another tough challenge this Saturday (2nd March) when they make the long journey to the other side of Plymouth to take on Premier Division team Elburton Villa in the quarter finals of the League Cup.  The Seagulls are the only Division 1 representatives left in the competition, having already beaten three higher-league sides in Newquay and Sticker away, and Plymouth Argyle at home.  Kick off at Haye Road is at 2.30 pm, with extra time and penalties if necessary to decide the outcome.  The winners will play high-flying Premier Division Saltash United in the semi-finals at a neutral venue on Tuesday 26th March.

 

Mousehole:  Jason Robertson, Billy Curtis (captain), Liam Andrew, Ben Williams, Kevin Nicholson, Lez Cela, Lorenzo Qerimi, Paulo Sousa, Hamza Kaid, Gerens James, Dan Osomebi

 

Substitutes:  Callum George (for Lorenzo Qerimi, 61), Amin Ahmed (for Dan Osomebi, 77), Amara Bakayoko (for Hamza Kaid, 90+3), Tyler Tonkin, Sam Schulberg

 

Scorers:  Liskeard – James Lorenz (16).  Mousehole – Dan Osomebi (42), Gerens James (51)

 

Referee: Simon Long.     Attendance: 128

Mousehole AFC are proud to announce that Steven Ziboth has agreed to join National League South side Truro City, as he moves five steps up the football pyramid.

Ziboth is in his second season at Mousehole and has attracted attention from higher league clubs after regularly demonstrating his extraordinary speed, skill and eye for goals, with close to 20-goals already this season despite missing a month through injury.  The French-born wingman made a mark for himself with a scintillating match-winning performance for The Seagulls in last year’s Cornwall Senior Cup semi-final against St Austell.

Mousehole’s Director of Football Operations Adam Fletcher says of the transfer:  “Steven will be very much missed at the club, not just for his flair on the pitch but because he’s a thoroughly decent young man.  He fully deserves his chance to test himself at a higher level and we wish him all the best.  The club is now developing a solid reputation for providing a springboard for young players – including those who for whatever reason have not been able to fulfil their potential or ambition elsewhere.  Just recently Adel Gafaiti secured a move to League One Yeovil Town, and Max Hill is on the verge of a full time professional contract in the Norway top flight.  And there’s absolutely no doubt there’ll be more to come!”

HOLYWELL & CUBERT 1-2 MOUSEHOLE RESERVES

CORNWALL JUNIOR CUP sponsored by Bond Timber

THIRD ROUND TIE, SATURDAY 24^th NOVEMBER 2018

AT TRETHERRAS SCHOOL, NEWQUAY

 

RESERVES WIN THROUGH TO FOURTH ROUND OF CORNWALL JUNIOR CUP

 

This match between teams from Duchy League 1 and Trelawny League Premier Division was played on a narrow school pitch, in grey overcast conditions but with the forecast rain holding off until the closing stages.

Mousehole made an excellent start, being unlucky not to take the lead in the first five minutes.  The Seagulls seemed to be gradually taking control, but Holywell had other ideas and against the run of play they almost took the lead from a close-range shot, which was turned away for a corner by Jonathan Fitchett, with the keeper going on to make a series of important saves during the first half.   Benji Ward, Joe Davies, Kyle Bickmore and Tom McGarry in defence had a busy first half, having to be at their best to prevent the home side taking the lead.  Mousehole were arguably the stronger team, but lots of their passes went astray and confidence started to drop as a result.

 After a good half-time team talk, Mousehole again made a strong start, but unexpectedly Holywell broke forward to take the lead.  Joe Davies then drove a free kick from the edge of the box into the corner of the net to restore parity and a sense of confidence.

Nathan Goodspeed, Lee Robinson and JJ Simmonds started to assert themselves in midfield, but Holywell continued to attack, keeping Fitchett busy in the visitors’ goal.   The home side then made a defensive blunder, allowing JJ Simmonds to capitalise and score The Seagulls’ second goal, which turned out to be the winner.

With confidence now returning, Jacob Trudgeon, Jamie Simons and Michael Fitchett stepped up their attacking efforts, but were kept out by some dogged defending.  Holywell came extremely close to grabbing an equaliser, but were denied by fine keeping again by Jonathan Fitchett in the dying minutes of the game.

In summary:  a scappy game, but a win against a battling Holywell & Cubert side, and a place in the draw for the fourth round of the Junior Cup to be played on 12^th January.

Mousehole Reserves’ squad:  Jonathan Fitchett, Jason Simmonds, Michael Fitchett, Nathan Goodspeed, Lee Robinson, Tom McGarry, Joe Davies, Benji Ward, Jacob Trudgeon, Jamie Simons, Tom Hooper, Alex Nixon, Kyle Bickmore.

 

Next up for mid-table Mousehole Reserves is a home league match against winless bottom side St Agnes Reserves this Saturday (1^st December) at Trungle Parc, kick off 2.30pm.

MOUSEHOLE 7-1 BUDE TOWN

SOUTH WEST PENINSULA LEAGUE, DIVISION ONE WEST

SATURDAY 13TH OCTOBER 2018, AT TRUNGLE PARC

On a windy and dank afternoon at Trungle Parc, Mousehole were without several regulars but still swept aside winless Bude Town with an impressive all-round display which could well have resulted in a double-figure scoreline.

Steven Ziboth and Gerens James both recorded hat-tricks and centre-back Adel Fafaiti grabbed his first goal for the club.

The win takes The Seagulls up to 6th place in the League table, with games in hand over all but one of the teams above, ahead of an interesting League Cup second round tie away at Premier Division bottom side Sticker on Friday evening (7:45pm) – (this game brought forward from Saturday). 

With the wind at their backs, Mousehole signalled their intentions as early as the 9th minute when Steven Ziboth’s penetrating pass created space on the left for young left-back Tom Hands, whose instant whipped-in cross was marginally ahead of Gerens James’ arrival at the far post.

After gradually coming to terms with the high wind, The Seagulls finally took the lead on the half-hour when good work just outside the box by newcomer Herman Niamke enabled Steven Ziboth to fire in a low left-footed drive from the 18-yard line.  And just three minutes later the wingman played a smart one-two with Gerens James before placing a 15-yarder low inside the near post this time with his right foot.

Bude were donated an unexpected gift on 37 minutes when indecisiveness in the home defence in dealing with a through-ball left Ruan Tape to side-foot into an unattended net from 25 yards out.

Mousehole created chances before half-time in an attempt to give the score line some credibility, centre-back Adel Gafaiti heading inches over from a corner on 41, and Ziboth close to a ‘true’ hat-trick with another shot from the edge of the box just too high.

In the second half, the home side’s pressing and measured passing brought the constant threat of a goal, with three of them arriving in a seven minute spell.

On 53 minutes, Adel Gafaiti nodded in his first goal for the club from a few yards out after Gerens James’ header from a Ziboth cross had rebounded off the bar.

In the 56th minute, Gerens James scored the best goal of the game to make it 4-1, Paulo Sousa cleverly releasing the energetic Hermann Niamke inside the box on the right for a perfectly weighted cross along the 6-yard line tapped home in ‘classic’ goal-poaching fashion at the far post.

Steven Ziboth duly got his hat-trick on the hour, swerving past his marker to power a drive into the roof of the net from an angle, after the visitors’ defensive cover had been turned inside-out by a neat passing move across the area.

Not to be out-done, Gerens James had a goalbound header from Billy Curtis’ cross blocked on the line by a well-positioned defender on 69 minutes, but two minutes later in a repeat of that move James’ close-range header made it 6-1, and shortly afterwards a spectacular hat-trick goal from a diving header into the net was ruled out for offside.  Undeterred, the prolific marksman had to wait just five minutes more as Ziboth yet again prised open the defence, Paul Sousa unselfishly squared the ball inside and James calmly side-footed in from 8 yards.

To their great credit Bude had played throughout with a sportsmanlike attitude despite being constantly put under pressure, and at 7-1 down they abandoned their damage-limitation tactics to venture forward in numbers in a spirited and entertaining last ten minutes.  Harry Hopcroft sent a thunderous 30-yard drive against the crossbar and then forced debutant goalkeeper Jason Robertson – who had been Porthleven’s ‘man of the match’ in their narrow 3-2 win over Mousehole in September – into a sharp diving save.

Mousehole: Jason Robertson, Matthew Howes, Billy Curtis (captain), Adel Gafaiti, Tom Hands, Lorenzo Qerimi, Hamza Kaid, Paul Sousa, Gerens James, Steven Ziboth, Hermann Niamke.

Substitutes: Ryan Andrew (for Hamza Kaid, 65), Jason Simmonds (for Steven Ziboth, 87), Tom Patrick, Dom Angove, Sam Shulberg.

Scorers:  STEVEN ZIBOTH 30 (1-0), STEVEN ZIBOTH 33 (2-0), Ruan Tape 37 (2-1).  Half-time 2-1.  ADEL GAFAITI 53 (3-1), GERENS JAMES 56 (4-1), STEVEN ZIBOTH 60 (5-1), GERENS JAMES 71 (6-1), GERENS JAMES 76 (7-1). Full-time 7-1.

Referee: Steve Annis    Attendance: 56

 

ALL THE MOUSEHOLE GOALS HERE…..

In a significant move for both player and club, Adel Gafaiti has put his trust in Mousehole AFC and the Endorsed Academy to re-start his professional career.

The former Glasgow Rangers youth team and Norwich City U21s player has joined from Ukrainian Premier League team FC Zirka Kropyvnytskyi to further develop his skills and re-establish his level in the English game.

Gafaiti, now 24, has international honours with his chosen country Algeria at U20 level, and joins two other talented French-born players Steven Ziboth and William Vouama, who are already making a name for themselves with The Seagulls.

After a couple of highly impressive starts at centre-back for Mousehole, Adel is delighted with his decision:  “I am already loving my time here in Cornwall and feel like I am developing more and more everyday.   I never thought there would be a facility such as this, nor the quality of daily coaching, in a region as beautiful as this. This the perfect place for me to re-launch my career!”

In the first of its kind at Mousehole AFC, Jason Blunt – who set up the new Endorsed Academy in the summer of 2017 – led a well-attended parent education session on 29th September on “the effects of pre-match and post-match information on the growth and maturation of young players”.

The aim was to discuss with parents how they can improve the holistic development of young aspiring athletes through appropriate verbal and non-verbal communication.

Parents also took advantage of the opportunity to share their own experiences about their children’s progress and the beneficial impact football has had on their entire family, whether their children had been playing the game for some time or had recently taken it up afresh.

The feedback from parents was positive and constructive, clearly indicating the need to offer regular sessions of this kind, as the club continues to do all it can to help its young players, and their parents, in all walks of life, both on and off the pitch.

The club is delighted to announce it has met the new demanding FA requirements with the award of Charter Standard Status.

Among the requirements were:

• An FA trained club welfare officer
• An FA Level 1 coach for each youth team (U18 and below)
• Criminal Record Checks (CRC) for all volunteers involved in youth football teams
• FA Emergency Aid-trained volunteers linked to each team
• Sign-up to and deliver The FA’s Respect programme
• Appropriate administration governance in place – in relation to the club’s size
• An FA Charter Standard Co-ordinator recruited for each club.

Chairman Tim Richardson explained: “The award is the result of a great deal of hard work by a lot of people at Mousehole AFC and Endorsed Academy over a period of time, and it was certainly not just a simple box-ticking exercise!  We are also grateful to Cornwall FA for their helpful encouragement and advice.  This is another step in the ambitious progress of the club, and we are already actively working on the requirements for further awards.

MOUSEHOLE RESERVES 0-3 HOLMANS SPORTS CLUB

TRELAWNY LEAGUE PREMIER DIVISION

SATURDAY 1^ST SEPTEMBER 2018, AT TRUNGLE PARC

At a very foggy Trungle Parc, visibility was a major issues for both teams and the spectators.  The referee decided the game should proceed so long as he could continue to see both goals from the middle of the pitch, and white balls were exchanged for orange to enable the players to see better.

With both teams playing flowing football during the first half, Mousehole created the better chances and could have built up a four goal lead by half time had it not been for the sterling efforts by the experienced Holman’s ‘keeper.

In the second half poor visibility continued to affect the game, but Holmans started to show their experience and control the game, resulting in a goal midway through the half.  Mousehole could not break down a very stubborn and well organised defence and it was not long before the visitors doubled their lead.  From then on, despite numerous efforts by The Seagulls, frustration and errors started creeping into their play, which resulted in a player being sent to the sidelines.

Holmans capitalised on their man advantage to score a third goal to complete a deserved victory.

Mousehole Reserves’ squad:  Harry Tonkin, Jason Simmonds, Michael Fitchett, Chris Bullock,  Caleb Marsden,  Nathan Goodspeed, Lee Robinson, Jonathan Fitchett, Louis Main, Jamie Simons, Tom Hooper, Harry Tonkin, Joe Davies

The Reserves are currently in 4^th place in the table, with two wins and two defeats.  Their next league fixture is at home on Saturday 15^th September when St Day Reserves visit Trungle Parc, kick off 2:30pm.