Twenty Eight Days later is not just the title of a really good Danny Boyle zombie apocalypse film, it is also the number of days since Mousehole last played a game of football. It’s longer than the life-span of the average housefly which possibly explains why your reporter can’t even remember what that previous game was. This game though, will live long in the memory, maybe even until Mousehole next play, because for the second home game in a row it was rounded off by a goal in injury time*. On this occasion, unlike the last gasper against Bashley, this was not a winning effort but it was celebrated with no less gusto by the home fans. 

(*Younger readers will refer to this as time added on for stoppages. They probably weren’t born the last time we played!) 

There’s a certain level of muscle memory in playing football that can not be replicated in training. This meant that the home team were a little rusty and so it was no real surprise that Willand, battling relegation and having played quote recently on the 31^st January!, scored first. The breakthrough came just after the half hour. Mousehole had possession deep in their own half by the corner flag but couldn’t clear it. Willand nicked it, sent it in to the box, and a crisp finish from around the penalty spot left Ollie no chance. 

The seagulls bounced backed instantly. It was a bit of a scrappy goal, following some pinball in the area. Eventually it fell to Kaleb Kadimashi about six yards out, he took a touch and sort of bobbled it home. It’s lack of pace seemed to fool the keeper. 

Sadly, parity only lasted a couple of minutes. A free kick from Willand’s left wasn’t properly cleared and when the cross came back in it found a lone striker with the freedom of Trungle. He had time to take it down and lash it home. As has been the case a little too often this season Mousehole were then hoping to only go in one goal down, that they managed this was a blessing. 

If Mousehole came out hoping to strike early and go on to get the win they were to be disappointed. It was Willand who started the second half stronger and thus, again, it was no surprise when they extended their lead. The goal deserved to win any game. The Willand number nine, Charlie Bateson, picked the ball up on the left and jinked, like a wee Scottish winger from the 1960s, past several defenders. When he’d found a little space near the edge of the box he unleashed a thunderbolt across the face of the goal into the far corner of the net. 

One could have been forgiven for thinking that was that but suddenly the home ranks found some get up and go and laid siege to the Willand end. The pressure eventually told when Jack Symons smashed home the rebound from his own shot with thirteen minutes left. Could the comeback be on? 

As the sands of time dribbled away, and Jake Ash pleaded with the referee to add on the equivalent time to that which had been wasted by the visitors, it looked like this would be another match that got away. When the board went up with seven minutes to be added a little hope was raised amongst the loyal Trunglites but chances were few in the closing moments.  

The seven minutes came and went but the game carried on. Maybe the referee felt guilty or maybe he was working the “a minimum of…” to its full extent but whatever the reason for the further additional time it proved crucial. A corner was awarded on the right, Hayden Turner stepped up and Charlie Davis held his breath. The delivery was cleared but quickly recycled to the hit man, he sent it back in and this time it was perfect. It was met on the edge of the six-yard box by a flying Jacob Kevern and arrowed into the net. 

A draw was possibly a little more than Mousehole deserved but no one cared as they celebrated a late point as the men in white and green extended their unbeaten run to twenty nine days. 

As you may be aware, the club is currently exploring the possibility of becoming a fan-owned club as part of wider discussions around long-term sustainability, financial resilience, and keeping the club rooted firmly in its community.

To help inform that conversation, we are pleased to confirm the following:

🚨 Fan Ownership Forum
🗓 Monday 23rd March
🕡 6.30pm
📍 Trungle Parc Clubhouse

We will be joined by Darren Bernstein from the Football Supporters Association, who will be speaking to fans, players, staff and volunteers about:

• What fan ownership actually means in practice
• The potential benefits and challenges
• How a club like Mousehole AFC could make it work
• Examples of other non-league clubs who have taken this route

This is very much an information-sharing and listening event. No decisions have been taken, and this process will only move forward with proper understanding and supporter involvement.

It is important that we have a good turnout on the night, both to show the strength of interest within our community and to ensure the discussion reflects a wide range of views.

You can find out more about the FSA and their support for fans ownership here: https://thefsa.org.uk/our-work/supporter-ownership/

Mousehole AFC is beginning an early-stage exploration into whether the club could become a 100% fan-owned football club.

Following recent discussions among the board, initial conversations have taken place with both the Exeter City Supporters’ Trust and the Football Supporters’ Association (FSA) to better understand what a supporter-owned model could look like for a club of our size, history and community roots.

It is important to stress that no decision has been made. This is the start of a listening process – one that puts our supporters at the centre of the conversation about the club’s long-term future.

Why consider fan ownership?

Club Secretary Daniel Tasker explains the thinking behind the discussions:

“In Germany all clubs must be at least 51% fan-owned; there are more and more clubs over here who are moving in that direction and we want to be part of that. With fans across Cornwall and all over the country – if not the world – we feel this is a really exciting opportunity for the club and our supporters.”

At its heart, fan ownership is about long-term sustainability, transparency and community control. Rather than being dependent on a small number of individuals, the club would be collectively owned by its supporters, helping to protect Mousehole AFC for future generations.

Why now?

Like many non-league clubs, Mousehole AFC faces increasing financial pressures. Rising operating costs, infrastructure investment, and the ambition to continue growing on and off the pitch mean we must look carefully at how the club is structured and funded.

Exploring fan ownership is part of a wider conversation about how we ensure the club remains:

• Financially stable
• Community-focused
• Ambitious but responsible
• Protected for the long term

Your voice matters

This process will only move forward with the support and involvement of our fans.

Alongside this article, we are launching a poll to gauge interest from our fans. If you can, please click below or follow this link below to take part in the poll.

We want to understand:

• How you feel about fan ownership in principle
• What excites you about the idea
• What worries you
• What you would want from a supporter-owned Mousehole AFC

This is about shaping the future of your club – together.

What happens next?

At this stage, we are:

• Learning from clubs who have already taken this route
• Seeking guidance from supporter organisations
• Listening to our community

Any future steps would only be taken after full consultation with supporters and a clear understanding of what is best for Mousehole AFC.

You can keep up to date with progress by subscribing to our fans ownership email by clicking here 

Mousehole’s nine match unbeaten run on the road came to a disappointing end in Devon on a wet and dreary Saturday afternoon. Having won the last away game at table toppers Portishead this result comes not just as a surprise but as something of a wake-up call. 

The seagulls started the match the way they had ended the game against the Posset*. They were dominant in every area of the pitch and could’ve been three nil up after fifteen minutes. That they only managed one goal during this period lead ultimately to the defeat. (*Portishead nickname – who knows?) 

Mousehole took the lead thanks to some great work from Alex Cairo. He wriggled into the box and following three or four or maybe five step overs he was taken down by a flummoxed defender. When not a single Bideford player argued with the referee as he pointed to the spot it was clear Cairo had been cut down illegally. Liam Prynn walked to the spot with the ball in his hands but it was Hayden “The Hitman” Turner who actually took the kick. The keeper went the right way but the shot was precision itself; smashed into the inside netting. 

What happened next defied expectation and came as a shock to players, management and fans alike. One nil up away from home and it felt like normal service until a long through ball down the left was allowed to reach the Bideford centre forward, he sprinted past James Ward and rolled it between the stranded Ollie Chenoweth’s legs. 

Scores level after fifteen minutes and it was anyone’s game until, that is, a disastrous kick-off. A long pass back to Olly, where he was left unprotected against an onrushing forward meant that his kick was rushed and was blocked by the advancing forward. The knock down fell kindly and so the the forward had an empty net in which to double his and Bideford’s tally. 

The stuffing, no Christmas pun intended, had been well and truly knocked out of the travelling Mousehole players. That they got to half-time only one goal down was a blessing. The question was could they turn the game around in the way they had away at Portishead. The answer sadly was no and it arrived very soon. Early in the second-half another straight through-ball found the Bideford forward in splendid isolation once more. And once more Olly was left unprotected and could only flail as he was nut-megged once more. 

A triple substitution brought some extra energy but it was only as the ninety minutes approached that Mousehole managed some attempts on goal. They pulled one back thanks to Prynn knocking in from a Turner cross. Bideford managed to play out eight added minutes with intelligent game management and the game was lost. 

A crisp boxing day welcomed a match between two fierce local rivals which attracted a bumper crowd of seven hundred and forty two! Sadly the entertainment on the pitch failed to live up to the festive mood on the terraces but either side could have won a tight contest. 

Nil nil draws are as rare as hens’ teeth and yet this was Mousehole’s second in just foiur games. So maybe for the boys in white and green goalless draws and really like London buses. If nil-alls drawers are really as rare as hens teeth then clear-cut chances in this match was rare as hens’ toothbrushes.  

The best early chance fell to Hayden Turner after he had been pole-axed by the first of many robust Falmouth challenges. Maybe it was the weather and the softer ground but the visitors seemed intent on putting some stiffeners from the start. Turner jumped back up, brushed himself off and headed for the posse of players now crowding the edge of the box. Ed Harrison lined up to float a cross to the back post but here was a training ground free kick par-excellence. As the Falmout defenders were on their heels looking for the main threat, namely ex-Mouthian James Ward, Harrison played a ball into the inside right channel seemingly to no one. Turner emerged from the pack as the ball entered the box. He caught up with the ball, swivelled and smashed it just wide. The move deserved a goal for the deception alone. 

After thirteen minutes Mousehole were nearly undone by a straight ball over the top. This could well be the epitaph of this season. The Falmouth number seven split the centre halves, spun in the area and found a team-mate. Had he possessed an ounce of composure it would have been a goal but he snatched at the chance and the ball flew over the bar and in to the car park. This was the first to end so high of the mark but not the last. So many of the Falmouth efforts ended in the car park that some wag in the crowd suggested that Prince William may have put a goal in there. 

The best chance of the half, nay the match, fell to Jack Symons near the half hour. A long throw from the right by Harris was flicked on by Nixon and found Simmo haring on to it. He took one touch and then with the goal gaping could only hit it straight at the advancing keeper. 

Falmouth’s best effort came not long after, and for once the car park was safe. A reasonable move saw the ball shifted across the box until it reached the left edge. The diminutive Falmouth player struck it hard and low and it was heading for the far inside netting until Chenoweth dived full length to push it wide. 

The rest of the half saw a lot of huffing and puffing, mainly from your correspondent trying to keep warm, but no one came as close again. A tight first half with chances pretty evenly split set up a second half full of possibility. Whether the Christmas turkey had started to settle, or the players were fatigued by the winter conditions, the second half saw little action at either end. 

Possibly the best chance fell again to Simmo. He started the move himself when he fed Turner on the right, he moved it on to Harris, who found Prynn in the area. He jiggled this way and that before cutting it back to Simmo. Sadly, the shot did not match the move and the keeper could drop his hat on it, as they used to say in the 1930s. Late on Simmo turned provider when setting up Turner twenty yards out. He pushed it into the box but curled it just over. 

And with that the match petered out. Blood red skies hung over Interiora Trungle Parc as these two mid-table sides failed to find the cutting edge that would have ended their years with a bang. The result was probably just about right but Mousehole will be regretting another two lost points at home. 

Mousehole opened the current campaign with a painful three nil defeat at Malvern. The visitors arrived on the back of a run of seven wins from eight and sat comfortably in the play off places. Mousehole, meanwhile, had a record of no home league wins since the end of September. Thus the omens weren’t good as Interiora Trungle Parc once more defied the weather to provide a great surface for football. 

The early exchanges were an accurate reflection of the teams’ league positions with most of the action taking place in or around Ollie Chenoweth box. None of the chances created by Malvern seriously threatened the goal but it was a one way street for the first ten minutes.  

Mousehole’s first and, as it turned out, only chance of the first came soon after they had withstood the initial Malvern onslaught. Alex Cairo won the ball in midfield and played it out wide to debutant Iestyn Harris. The recent arrival rolled a first time pass in to the path of Hayden Turner as he sprinted into the area. The hitman took one touch before firing towards the far post. The keeper got the merest of touches and sent it wide. 

The deadlock was broken shortly afterwards when a Chenoweth kick was hoofed straight back in to the Mousehole defensive third. As the ball arced towards the Solom Browne stand Jacob Kevern and James Ward allowed the Malvern forward, Walton to get between them. The ball bounced once and Kevs, fatally, allowed it to bounce a second time. Walton pounced, chopped inside and  fired past Chenoweth. It was a soft goal to concede and it deflated the home ranks, on and off the pitch. When you’ve not won at home for so long you need a lucky break but there were none here. 

From then till the break the home faithful were hoping that it wouldn’t get worse. Chances came a-plenty but Malvern couldn’t increase their lead. Mousehole were looking like a team in need of a reset and as half time approached it looked like they would get their wish and go in just one down but that’s not the way things have gone this season. A late forward push was turned over and suddenly Malvern had four against three. It was just a question of whether they had the composure to take advantage. 

The first shot was kicked away by Chenoweth who had adjusted well when the goal bound effort was redirected at the last moment. Sadly for the Seagulls’ custodian his save went straight to a free forward who could pass it home undisturbed buy any defenders. The scorer was the aptly named Jesus Quintas but it was Mousehole who had given the early Christmas presents. 

The second half was a totally different affair. Malvern seemed happy with their day’s work and set out to soak up whatever Mousehole could chuck at them. As it happened, that was quite a lot and on many occasions it looked like the comeback was on only to be thwarted by a brave block or a great save. 

When the deficit was halved it came from the best Mousehole player on the pitch. Alex Cairo had been the only player in the first half to come out with any credit and he continued to shine in the second, having two good efforts stopped before he scored. 

A corner on the left was sent to the back post where James Ward nodded it back into the danger zone. Ed Harrison lashed at it but his weak connection turned into a perfect pass as the ball ran to Cairo who smashed it home. 

At that moment it felt like Mousehole would at least draw, if not win this game, such was the shift in momentum. With twenty five minutes to go it looked like a real possibility but whilst most of the play was at the car park end Mousehole never forced the keeper into a save. There was lots of huffing and puffing and energy but not enough guile to the break lock. 

It was, in the end, a valiant effort in the second half, but like so many times this season the game had been lost in the first forty-five. If Mousehole want to return to winning ways at home they need to start games like they finished this one.