Mousehole 2 – 1 Yate

Better Yate Than Never!

Top of the table clashes don’t come more important than this one. With Yate leading the division and Mousehole coming off the back of two disappointing results this was a classic six pointer which could have gone either way.

Yate have lead from the front since day one of this season. At the turn of the year they were ten points clear and looked locked in for automatic promotion but since the days have started lengthening their lead has been shortening and they entered this match just three points ahead of Evesham. A run of just two wins in ten games meant that it was a must-win for the visitors. With Mousehole having gained one point from the previous two matches it meant it was must-win for the Seagulls too. Which way would it go?

The opening exchanges were cagey and very even with neither side creating much but that changed just before ten minutes were up. Jack Symons won a free kick about twenty five yards out. It was a classic piece of Simmo-ness, nipping in ahead of the defender and winning the foul.

Hayden Turner’s shot was straight and true but was aimed directly at the keeper. He bent down to catch it but it bounced in front of him and he spilled it in Onana-esque fashion. When something spills you need a mopper-upper and luckily for the home fans we have the best in the business. Starting three feet behind the defender Tim Nixon exploded past a statuesque backline to poke the ball home.

With chances being few and far between it seemed that Mousehole would go in ahead at half time. The play was fast and furious but there simply were no openings at either end. The closet Yate came to drawing level was a shot from the edge of the box which Ollie Chenoweth pushed round the post. It was going to take a piece of magic or a slight drop in concentration for this change and unfortunately it was the latter and it was at the home end.

Yate had a throw in on the left deep inside their own half. It reached Marlon Jackson on the half way line. He chested it, turned and played it forward to Tomlinson. With Hill and Konte either side of him it looked a lost cause but the number seven is quick and he pounced when Medo missed his kick. Taking it wide, he waited for Ollie Chenoweth to commit and sent it in to the net. This turned out to be Medo’s best performance in a Mousehole shirt but when you play in defence one mistake is all it takes to ruin your day.

For one of the only times this season Mousehole were having the minority of the possession but chances were evenly split and when the teams emerged for the second half it was impossible to predict who might win, if anyone.

The second forty-five proved to be as tight as the first with defences on top. There wasn’t a clear-cut chance until the eighty fifth minute. Yate had a free kick on the right wing. It was swung in to a packed penalty box and found its way to the far post where a desperate Yate foot reached out and slammed it against the post.

Relief turned to joy less than two minutes later when Simmo won a free kick on the right wing. In this instance he was scythed down like harvest corn. The crowd bayed for a red card but the referee chose yellow. Tempers were still running high as Jack Calver stood over the free kick and swung his left boot. Max Hill, six foot four of towering Yorkshire oak, threw himself at the ball and headed it home. The crowd erupted, the players gathered to celebrate as the visitors fell to their haunches. From near victory to almost certain defeat in the blink of an eye.

If you’ve just read the report on the Bashley game you’ll know that holding on to a late lead had not been possible for Mousehole the week before so the home fans were taking nothing for granted. Josh Baxter came on for the free-kicking-winning maestro Symons to shore up the defence. With four minutes added there were nails being bitten all over West Cornwall but Yate were unable to find a way through and the final whistle brought a mixture euphoria and relief as the push for promotion was back on the rails.

First Ever Mousehole Fans Forum

Wednesday 2^nd April in the clubhouse at Interiora Trungle Parc saw the first ever Mousehole Fans Forum. A well-attended event allowed fans and volunteers to ask questions regarding the future of the club to chair Billy Jacka, manager Jake Ash, head of men’s football Adam Fletcher and first team coach Andy Graham.

A wide-ranging discussion saw various topics covered from the player pathway to community engagement. One topic which was a theme throughout the evening was a need for more volunteers. This is true of all clubs in grassroots football. With that in mind we would urge anyone reading this who wants to help in any way, just an hour a week will make a big difference, to send your details to Daniel Tasker: secretary@mouseholeafc.co.uk Thanks to all who came along on the night and who sent in questions. The first team is in an amazing position competing at a level we could only dream about a few years ago so please come along to Interiora Trungle Parc to support them in any way you can. The club has a Women’s team and six youth teams who also need your support, please don’t be shy.

Mousehole 1 – 1 Bashley

Promotion push takes a Bashing!

Mousehole records all its matches using a system called VEO. This camera stands at the half way line and follows the ball. When the images are put through the computer magic you get to see the whole match and also you are given a line along the bottom of the screen where white dots represent moments of action: shots and goals. Normally this line is filled. After the Bashley game there were a mere five dots. This was a match that most observers would agree was not just a must-win but a should-win. We know that no games in this division are easy and whilst the opposition were not to be under-estimated, after beating them at home by four goals in the FA Trophy, a win was on the cards.

Bashley came with a strong game plan: don’t concede and wait for an error at the other end. They were almost perfect in the first part of that and took ruthless advantage of the second part. A first half saw only two chances and both fell to Mousehole’s hitman Hayden Turner. The first had him latching on to a long through ball and firing towards the top corner only for the keeper to tip it wide. The second had him out wide on the right and lashing a shot just inside the post. Again, the visiting keeper was able to repel it. That was it. Nothing else to report.

Bashley had shown little going forward but with the first real chance of the second half they should have taken the lead. That it came with fifteen minutes left illustrates how difficult conditions were and how on top the defences had been. Faced with only Ollie Chenoweth to beat from ten yards out the Bashley forward panicked as the red blur hurled himself at the ball. The shot was rushed and blocked by Ollie much to the relief of the home fans. It looked very much like this was going to be a no score draw until with four minutes left on the clock Ryan Barrett took matters into his own hands. Well feet, you know what I mean. He stole the ball from a dawdling Bashley midfielder near the half way line and burst forward. A couple of touches and then he released the pass of the match, if not the pass of the season. It took three defenders out of contention and rolled perfectly into the path of Turner. The weight of pass was so good that he did not need a touch, he just sprang into action and rolled it under the keeper. The celebrations lasted forty seconds.

This was a smash and grab victory to set Mousehole up for the run-in.

Life is not like that and football has a way of kicking you when you’re up. Within thirty seconds of the restart the ball was in the Mousehole net. To quote Shakespeare and call it a Comedy of Errors would hide the pain that the concession caused but do it we must. A hopeful Bashley punt upfield was knocked down to Hill. His clearance didn’t cross the halfway line, where Sullivan was beaten to the header by the yellow-shirted centre half. This header was met by Ward but the ball went more up than away and landed on a Bashley head which sent it forward again. Derham was beaten to it where it fell between Barrett and a forward, the forward won it but sent it spinning into the air. When it landed Fresneda was beaten to it by the player who’d sliced it. He pushed it to the right, beat a Derham challenge and then smashed it home. The finish itself was great but what led to it was hard to watch. There was no time left to mount a serious effort to retake the lead and so two points were dropped.

It’s happened before this season and the Seagulls have bounced back and taken flight again. They need to find the resolve and the reserves of energy to do so again. The season may only have four matches left but there is still everything to play for.

Willand 3 – 0 Mousehole

At all levels of football managers talk about moments. Moments that change matches. In some respects this game turned on such a moment. Could it be a moment that just turned a match, or could it be something bigger.

Mousehole arrived at Silver Street on the back of a record of only one defeat in 2025. With a play-off place still not secured and a target of a top three finish very much at the forefront of their thoughts they could have been expected to take all three points from Willand; a team lingering dangerously close to the relegation zone. It wasn’t to be.

The early exchanges saw the home side on top without really threatening Chenoweth’s goal and then the moment happened. Julio Fresneda was surging towards the box when he was cynically taken out after having played his pass. A direct free kick about 25 yards from goal was awarded. Tim Nixon and Hayden Turner stood over the ball for a few moments before the latter gave way and left the coast clear. Nicco stepped back a few feet and then fired a shot; straight and true. The keeper saw it but couldn’t reach it but the trajectory was just too high and it struck the bar. Seeming to defy physics the ball didn’t ping back off the bar but lolloped into the air and landed in the grateful arms of the keeper.

A team near the bottom of the table conceding early against high flyers almost always ends only one way so this moment was a turning point. Willand kept their sheet clean and from then on there was only ever one team in it.

Chances came and went for the hosts and it seemed only a matter of time before they broke the deadlock. It finally came shortly after the half hour. An intercepted Mousehole through ball was quickly transferred in the other direction. Three chances to stop the flow towards Ollie were missed and a slick move ended with Kempster playing in Brandon Bak to tuck the ball in to the net. It was the sort of goal that Mousehole like to score but here they were on the receiving end. It was a dagger blow that they never recovered from.

Only one down at half time is often a place from which the Seagulls recover, and recover well but that was not to be the case here. The expected barrage at the start of the second half did not materialise. Instead, the game was virtually over after fifty-three minutes.

The ball was lost in the Willand half when a Max Hill pass to Jack Symons was stolen with a little too much ease. A pass out wide to an unmarked Kempster who then played it first time in to the box to an unmarked Finley Rooke. He had time to let it bounce, steady himself, and score with a single touch.

That was game pretty much game over. When the final nails were hammered into the Mousehole coffin with twenty minutes left it was a goal that will send shivers down the spine of the travelling defenders and coaching staff. A long ball from the back was controlled by an unchallenged Rooke on the edge of the box. His second touch sent it under Chenoweth’s lunge into the net.

With their only shot on target in the second half coming with ten minutes left this was a match that Mousehole will want to forget quickly. When a couple of players are under par it is still possible to win but when almost everyone is not at their game the result is inevitable.

It was their second league defeat of 2025 and it has to be seen as a blip. Five games to go, still in third place, this team has its fate in its own hands. Last season saw the Seagulls win the last five games to clinch the final play off place. Something similar is needed now to snare a top three spot. Stay tuned.

Mousehole AFC is proud to partner with Prostate Cancer UK for National Non-League Day, raising awareness about prostate cancer and the importance of early detection. 

To mark the occasion, the team will warm up in special shirts featuring the Prostate Cancer UK logo. Also, a unique Subbuteo set of Mousehole AFC players in themed kits has been created by club secretary Dan Tatarsky.  

Fans attending the match can access free prostate cancer advice at the ground, with discounted entry available for those who purchase a special badge and complete an online risk survey. 

“We’re proud to be involved in such an important initiative,” said Dan. “This campaign saves lives, and we hope to encourage more men to take control of their health.” 

Prostate cancer is the most common cancer among men in the UK. Here are four key points to understand:​  

• Prevalence: Over 50,000 men are diagnosed with prostate cancer annually in the UK, and more than 12,000 men die from it each year. 

• Age: Primarily affects men aged 50 and over.​ 

• Ethnicity: Black men face a higher risk, with about 1 in 4 diagnosed in their lifetime.​ 

• Family History: A family history of prostate cancer increases risk.   

• Symptoms: Early-stage prostate cancer often presents no symptoms. As it progresses, symptoms may include urinary issues, blood in urine or semen, and erectile dysfunction. ​  

• Detection: Regular screenings, such as PSA blood tests and digital rectal examinations, are crucial for early detection, especially for those at higher risk. ​ 

Understanding these factors is vital for early diagnosis and effective treatment.​ 

DIDCOT 2-2 MOUSEHOLE

It is with a sense of sadness and regret that we have to announce our withdrawal of our Development Team from the Premier (West) Division of the Kernow Stone St Piran League.

Following the departure of the team’s manager, Drew Symons, along with a number of players, we attempted to put together a squad that could complete the season. After much effort this proved impossible so late in the season and the difficult decision was taken. We would like to thank League Secretary Steve Carpenter for his help and guidance through this difficult time.

We wish Drew, and the players who have followed him, well and much success as they continue their football journey. Mousehole AFC now turns its attention to the future of the players here from our numerous youth squads, our ladies and our first team.

We are discussing the best way forward internally and would like to hear from our fans, volunteers, players and their families at a Forum to be held in the Clubhouse at Interiora Trungle Parc on April 2nd at 7.30pm.

Heading the panel will be Jake Ash (First Team Manager) and Billy Jacka (Chairman). Other panel members to be announced.

Mousehole 1-0 Larkhall

After the disappointment of Wednesday’s early exit from the Cornwall Senior Cup Mousehole needed to bounce back to maintain their push for promotion. The visiting Larkhall have drifted down the table having been in the play-off mix last season but after St Austell nothing could be taken for granted.

Overnight and morning rain had put a little bit of doubt on the fixture going ahead but with the clouds clearing an an eleven o’clock pitch inspection became a formality. The pitch was firm underfoot and by kick off the sun was out and all was set for a glorious day.

As it turned out the result was a good one but the match itself will not last long in the memories of the spectators or players. The only exception to this is the winning goal, which was a text book move but we’ll come back to the later.

In a first half where the home side had a massive sixty eight percent possession one could have expected there to be an avalanche of chances but in total, between the teams mustered just four attempts on goal. The first was for Larkhall from a corner. It was cleared to the edge of the area from where their advancing midfielder volleyed just wide but not close enough to worry Ollie Chenoweth.

That came after twenty or so minutes of a tense affair. Defences were dominant with neither side managing to find space to create opportunities. The nearest either side came to scoring before the goal was actually a back-pass from Hayden Turner. With the ball on the half way line he could see no way forward and punted it towards his own goal. The arc looked like it was heading towards the goal and it caused Chenoweth to scramble towards his left hand post, grateful to see it go out for a corner.

After forty minutes the deadlock was finally broken. It came with the one real quality moment of the match but like a Van Gogh it was worth the entry fee on its own.

It began in the Mousehole penalty are with Chenoweth transferring a back pass from Will Sullivan out to Jack Calver on the left. He took a couple of touches before rolling it to Turner on the half way line. Turner took a single touch and then sent Morgan Lewis chasing further down the left. The Welsh wizard, relishing his return to the West, passed it first time into the box. He was threading a needle as the ball ran ahead of two retreating defenders and in front of a desperate keeper. Only Lewis had seen an onrushing Tim Nixon on the far side. His run, perfectly timed, allowed him to reach the ball on the edge of the six-yard box. The keeper was too late to scramble across and Nixon prodded it home.

Mousehole had a few chances in the second period to sew the game up but couldn’t find that final nail to put into the Larkhall coffin. Nixon came close again from close range, Turner clipped one over the bar following a lovely Sullivan through ball but no one could actually score.

Mousehole’s failure to kill them off gave Larkhall hope that they could save a point late on as the Seagulls had done on the reverse fixture. Suddenly all the play was in Chenoweth’s box and whilst they never seriously threatened to score the final ten minutes were much more nerve-wracking than should have been.

The final whistle came as a relief and extended the Seagulls’ unbeaten run to eight. There were six wins in those eight and if that run can be replicated in the last eight matches of the season Mousehole should finish in second but in football you never know. Stay tuned.

Mousehole 1-3 St Austell

Football is full of highs and lows. Four days after the euphoria of a last minute comeback win against Bishops Cleeve, Mousehole suffered the other end of the spectrum when they were booted out of the cup by a feisty St Austell team.

On a night when the mist was threatening to roll over the pitch it was the men in red who did the rolling as they moved on into the final. Almost from the first minute they were on top and a statistic of six shots to three showed that especially as those efforts brought two goals.

The first came in the eleventh minutes when Matt Searlee picked up a loose ball in the centre circle. He ran straight for the Mousehole goal with Julio Fresenda in pursuit. If this was the Premier League our Spanish maestro would have brought him down and taken the yellow but he tried to keep on the right side of the law. He was never catching the pacy forward and the Seagulls’ defensive line backed off. They backed off assuming Searlee would try to beat them but he looked up and saw Lewis Moyle fractionally off his line. That was all the invitation he needed to thwack an unstoppable drive over Moyle’s head and in off the underside of the bar.

Going in one nil down is nothing new to this Mousehole team so there no worries at that point, until things took a dark turn just before the half hour. James Ward went up for and, as always, won a header on the halfway line. As he and the St Austell forward went to get up Wardy used the face of his opponent to push himself up. Was it deliberate? Was it simply eagerness to rejoin the fray and totally accidental? The referee deemed it the former and showed Wardy a red card.

That it was a bad night for our mountainous defender was obvious as he stalked off but it also curtailed the return to starting action of Ross Derham as he was sacrificed to bring on Jack Calver as replacement for the early-showering Ward.

Bad turned worse when a hopeful punt forward bounced awkwardly in the box. Jacob Kevern and Lewis Moyle waited for each other clear it and in nipped Adam Carter to loft it in to the net.

Seagulls fans will remember a performance away at Thatcham which had the same half time score and ended in a famous three two win so not all was lost as the players trudged off.

Playing with ten men did not stop Mousehole from controlling much of the second half. There was occasional scare but mostly it was turquoise shirts pushing for an opening. The St Austell defence stood firm and as the hour passed it looked like this would be the end of our cup run.

After sixty seven minutes Fresneda changed the mood when he smashed a shot in to the top corner after a neat pass from Tim Nixon. The cheers were still ringing out in the cold night air and optimism was still cursing through the veins of the Seagulls’ fans when the game was ended as a contest just minute after the goal.
A through ball down the right looked to have been played with the recipient in an offside position but the linesman didn’t see it. The ball was crossed to a late arriving Keiran Bishop who nodded it home.

The thick red line held firm after that and the game fizzled out for a famous win for St Austell and an ignominious defeat for Mousehole. It’s time to concentrate on the league. Talking of which, the only bit of good news was that Wardy’s suspension would not be served in the Southern Leaague.