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bude town versus mousehole afc
by Jeff Richardson

MATCH REPORT | BUDE TOWN 0-2 MOUSEHOLE

BUDE TOWN 0-2 MOUSEHOLE

SOUTH WEST PENINSULA LEAGUE, DIVISION 1 WEST

SATURDAY 19th JANUARY 2019

AT BROADCLOSE PARK

On a bright sunny afternoon in north west Cornwall, second half goals from a Paulo Sousa penalty and a late clincher by Gerens James secured another three points that lifted Mousehole into fifth place in the table.

The hosts, perhaps mindful of their seven-goal trouncing at Trungle Parc in mid-October, set up with a deep-lying defensive formation and rarely ventured forward to threaten The Seagulls’ goal.  They frustrated The Seagulls’ attack on countless occasions and may feel satisfied by the scoreless first half and a mere two-goal margin of defeat, after blocking several attempts in front of goal and clearing off the line, as well as surviving a couple of hair-raising ‘own goal’ near-misses.

Despite dominating proceedings throughout, with swift crisp passing taking them regularly into the final third, Mousehole took until the 58th minute to open the scoring.  The energetic and dangerous Hamza Kaid twisted and turned inside the box only to be brought down for an obvious penalty, with Paulo Sousa’s low spot kick just evading goalkeeper Gary Dinshaw’s dive.

With ten minutes remaining and Bude beginning to think about the possibility of snatching an unlikely draw after a half chance following a set piece, Gerens James added to his season’s impressive tally with a much needed second goal, chesting down Kevin Nicholson’s excellent left wing cross and volleying inside the post from 12 yards.

Mousehole travel to St Blazey this Saturday (26th), kick off 3pm, looking to make amends for their unexpected 1-0 home defeat at the end of September.  Since then St Blazey, now in their second season after relegation from the Premier Division, have won only three of their eleven league matches – two of those against Bude and Ludgvan – and currently sit fourth from bottom of the table.

Mousehole v Bude Town: Jason Robertson, Tyler Tonkin, Billy Curtis (captain), Ben Williams, Kevin Nicholson, Steve Burt, Lez Cela, Paulo Sousa, Hamza Kaid, Gerens James, Dan Omosebi.

Substitutes: Liam Andrew (for Tyler Tonkin 56), Hermann Niamke (for Dan Omosebi 62), Callum George (for Steve Burt 83), Tom Hands, Sam Shulberg.

Scorers: Paulo Sousa (pen 58), Gerens James (80).

Referee: Richard Butter.    Attendance: 77.

by Jeff Richardson

MATCH REPORT | HOLMAN SPORTS CLUB 1-1 MOUSEHOLE RESERVES

HOLMAN SPORTS CLUB 1-1 MOUSEHOLE RESERVES

Whirlwind Sports Trelawny League, Premier Division

Saturday 19th January 2019

At Pendarves Road, Camborne

Following the previous week’s outstanding extra-time victory against Division leaders Penwith Exiles in the Cornwall Junior Cup, Mousehole Reserves were back in league action up the A30 at Camborne.  The squad was lower on numbers, with several players still recovering from knocks received against the Exiles.  Added to that, the playing surface was not ideal following some heavy rain over the previous couple of days, both sides finding the going difficult with players slipping and sliding throughout the 90 minutes.  But for the duration of the game the weather stayed dry with blue skies and sunshine.

The first half was pretty even, with few noteworthy incidents.  For Mousehole, Michael Fitchett fired a cracking shot from the left which was palmed down by the Holmans keeper but there was nobody following up in the penalty box.  At the other end Dom Angove in goal made several fine saves before being injured and replaced for the second half by Jonathan Fitchett.

After the interval striker Fitchett, on a run into the area, was brought down by a Holmans defender for a solid-looking penalty, but the referee not only waved away the appeals but also sent Nathan Goodspeed to the side-line for ten minutes after his comments on the decision.  To add to the problem, with Mousehole down to ten men Holmans quickly took advantage and went a goal ahead.

The injured Tom Hooper was then replaced by Caleb Marsden, who had himself been substituted earlier with an injury, but with The Seagulls soon restored to eleven men they grabbed the equaliser after a corner had bounced about like a ping pong ball, with Joe Davies getting the final touch to head home.

After Matt Howes had also been sin-binned, Holmans pressed again hoping to repeat their earlier achievement against ten men, but some dogged and robust defending, particularly by Harry Tonkin and Benji Ward, kept them at bay, while keeper Fitchett made a series of important saves to keep the scores level.

But it was the visitors who came close to a winning goal.  In a carbon copy move from the previous week, the ball was released by the keeper, played through defence and midfield to find Fitchett lurking just forward of the centre line, but having outpaced the Holman’s defence for a one-on-one chance, the keeper just managed to deflect the resulting shot with the tip of his boot for a corner.  JJ Simmonds then shot into the Holmans net but was deemed offside, while in the dying moments keeper Fitchett again made a super save to keep the scores even, and finally JJ Simmonds had another shot on target.

In the circumstances, with injured personnel and a difficult playing surface, this was a creditable result for Mousehole against a side recently relegated from the Cornwall Combination League.  The next fixture – on Saturday 2nd February, kick off 2.30pm – is away against familiar rivals Penwith Exiles at Mounts Bay Academy, with the Exiles 12 points ahead of the third place Seagulls from the same number of games.

Mousehole Reserves squad: Dom Angove, Jonathan Fitchett, Jason Simmonds, Michael Fitchett, Nathan Goodspeed, Joe Davies Benji Ward, Tom Hooper, Caleb Marsden, Harry Tonkin, Alex Nixon, Jamie Simons, Matthew Howes (captain)

caleb marsden jake andrew mousehole afc
by Jeff Richardson

MATCH REPORT | PENWITH EXILES 1-3 MOUSEHOLE RESERVES (after extra time)

PENWITH EXILES 1-3 MOUSEHOLE RESERVES (after extra time)

BOND TIMBER CORNWALL JUNIOR CUP, 4TH ROUND

SATURDAY 12th JANUARY 2019

AT MOUNTS BAY ACADEMY

Mousehole Reserves put in a brilliant performance to defeat the league leaders in extra time of an entertaining Cup tie full of spills and thrills that was a great advert for football in the west of the county…..and would have made an excellent Final.

Both teams are old rivals and know each other pretty well, and the first 25 minutes were evenly contested.  Former Seagulls striker Chris Bullock had a one on one chance but Mousehole keeper Dom Angove made a great save from the resulting effort.  At the other end Jason Simmonds had a good shot on target saved by the Exiles’ keeper, and a further effort on the 44th minute saw a Caleb Marsden (pictured left)  shot superbly saved by the flying Mikey Flores.  Meanwhile, Exiles missed a number of chances to open the scoring and had been marginally the better team in the first half.

dom angove mousehole afc
Dom Angove was in fine form vs Exiles

Half time: 0-0

With Exiles continuing strongly after the break, Mousehole slowly started to raise their performance, although only two more fine saves from Dom Angove kept his side in the game.  A breakaway by Mousehole in the 75th minute saw Caleb Marsden on a determined run into the Exiles penalty box and his shot evaded Flores diving hand to open the scoring.  Immediately, Exiles mounted a series of counter attacks and from a free kick on the edge of the Seagulls’ penalty box the shot hit the Mousehole defensive wall and was wickedly deflected into net for the equaliser.

90 minutes: 1-1

The good football continued in the first 15 minutes of extra time, but Exiles were prevented from taking the lead when Nathan Goodspeed was in the right place at the right time to make a vital clearance off the line.  With the possibility of the game going to a penalty shoot-out at the end of the 30 minutes, both teams continued to press as the match entered a nail-biting phase.

Half time in extra time: 1-1

As with the first half of extra time, both teams went looking for that crucial winning goal.  And it was Mousehole who made the breakthrough.  The ball was delivered out of defence through the midfield to Michael Fitchett whose run past the defender and keeper took him wide towards the byeline, but his resulting shot found the far side of the net.  Then it became 3-1.  Jamie Simons had a great run and was brought down by an Exiles defender in the area, with the referee having no hesitation in awarding a penalty, and Caleb Marsden comfortably placed the spot kick past the diving Flores.  Exiles went straight back into attack in their attempt to claw back two goals, but time was against them.

End of extra time: 1-2

This was a true squad performance to earn Mousehole a place in the quarter-finals of the Junior Cup to take place on February 16th.  They meet Exiles again in a couple of weeks for the return league fixture, after losing narrowly 1-0 earlier in the season at Trungle Parc.  In the meantime the third place Seagulls travel to seventh place Holman Sports Club next Saturday (19th), kick off 2.30pm.

Squad: Dom Angove, Jonathan Fitchett, Jason Simmonds, Michael Fitchett, Nathan Goodspeed, Joe Davies (captain), Benji Ward, Jacob Trudgeon, Caleb Marsden, Tom Hooper, Harry Tonkin, Alex Nixon, Jamie Simons, Matthew Howes, Ben Fewkes

steven ziboth mousehole vs bere alston
by Jeff Richardson

MATCH REPORT | MOUSEHOLE 8-0 BERE ALSTON UNITED

MOUSEHOLE 8-0 BERE ALSTON UNITED

SOUTH WEST PENINSULA LEAGUE, DIVISION 1 WEST

SATURDAY 12th JANUARY 2019

AT TRUNGLE PARC

Mousehole made a perfect start to the second half of the season by completing a league double over Bere Alston United with a comfortable victory in their first match of the new year.

The under-pressure visitors put up a dogged defensive display to keep the scoreline blank until the midway point of the first half and to restrict the hosts to just a two-goal advantage at the interval.  But they were powerless to withstand a second half bombardment as Mousehole turned up the temperature with six goals, including a spell of three goals in three minutes near the end.

The Seagulls’ back line, including recently re-signed centre back Ben Williams, had a relatively untroubled afternoon, but contributed to the overall victory by breaking up United’s sporadic sorties and maintaining the home side’s overwhelming possession and forward momentum.

Mousehole went ahead in the 24th minute with yet another goal from top scorer Gerens James as he nodded in player/manager Kevin Nicholson’s superb cross from the left.

After several near misses it was 2-0 with a 15-yard low drive inside the near post by Steven Ziboth after Ben Williams had made a great burst with the ball from the halfway line.

The one-way traffic continued into the second half but Mousehole’s third goal was the result of a misjudgement by 17-year old goalkeeper Michael Moore who dropped a high centre by Billy Curtis, leaving the lurking Gerens James an easy task to head into an empty net.

The young keeper more than made amends for his side with a number of alert and courageous saves, but was beaten again on 62 as Lez Cela converted a simple close range chance after Hamza Kaid raced clean through from halfway.

mousehole afc gerens james hamza kaid steven ziboth
All on the scoresheet vs Bere Alston , Hamza Kaid, Gerens James and Steven Ziboth.

And it was 5-0 ten minutes later when smart passing in the final third gave Hamza Kaid the space to lash a low drive into the far corner from 12 yards.

But Mousehole, with all three substitutes on the field, were far from finished, and they ruthlessly exposed the tiring visitors with three goals in as many minutes from the 86th minute.  Hamza Kaid made the opening with a characteristic 50-yard dash to the right hand byeline and Lez Cela arrived at the near post to scoop in the low cross.  Gerens James then reached a deserved hat-trick with a close-range conversion after another of Hamza Kaid’s penetrating runs to the byeline, this time on the left.  And Steven Ziboth completed the scoring with an accurate left-footed drive low into the far corner from the edge of the box.

The sixth-place Seagulls, who have several games in hand over most teams above, travel to Bude Town next Saturday, 19th January (kick off 2.15pm).

This is followed by another four away Saturdays at St Blazey (26th), St Dennis (2nd February), Elburton Villa (9th – in the League Cup quarter final), and Plymouth Marjon (16th).

The next home game at Trungle Parc is against Liskeard Athletic on 23rd February, which marks the start of a remarkable run of league games, with eight of the last nine fixtures at home.

Mousehole starting X1: Jason Robertson, Billy Curtis (captain), Mark Richards, Ben Williams, Kevin Nicholson, Steve Burt, Lez Cela, Paulo Sousa, Hamza Kaid, Gerens James, Steven Ziboth

Substitutes: Tom Hands (for Kevin Nicholson, 64), Jamie Devine (for Mark Richards, 66), Callum George (for Steve Burt, 73), Craig Wilcox, Sam Shulberg

Scorers: Gerens James 24, Steven Ziboth 35, Gerens James 53, Lez Cela 62, Hamza Kaid 72, Lez Cela 86, Gerens James 87, Steven Ziboth 88.

Referee:  James Long        Attendance: 78

by Jeff Richardson

MOUSEHOLE’S 2018/19 SEASON

REVIEW OF FIRST HALF OF THE SEASON, AUGUST 18TH TO DECEMBER 31ST

All fixtures (League & Cups) to date:

Played 20

8 Home, 12 Away

14 League matches

6 Cup matches (in 3 Cup competitions)

Won 11, Drawn 4, Lost 5

Goals for 56, Goals against 26

Win rate 55%

 

In the League:

Played 14

5 Home, 9 Away

Won 7, Drawn 4, Lost 3

Goals for 42, Goals against 16

League position 7th

Points 25, Points-per-game 1.79

Win rate 50%

Attendances:  High 108, Low 80, Average 93 (3rd highest in Division)

 

Biggest wins:  11-1 at Ludgvan, Home v Bude Town 7-1, Plymstock United 6-1

Biggest losing margins:  Home v Helston, Senior Cup 0-2, Away v Penzance Charity Cup 3-5

Premier Division opponents: 5 : Newquay (A) W 2-0,  Millbrook (H) W 3-2, Sticker (A) W 4-0, Plymouth Argyle (H) W 2-1, Helston Athletic (H) L 0-2

Clean sheets: 5 : Wendron (A), Bere Alston (A), Newquay (A), Sticker (A), Dobwalls (H))

Games without scoring: 2 : St Blazey (H), Helston (H)

Scoring in Away matches: 100%

Number of no-score draws: Nil

 

Mousehole AFC applied for promotion to the new Step 6 League for the 2019/20 season

 

PREVIEW OF THE SECOND HALF OF THE SEASON:  JANUARY 1ST TO MAY 1ST

 League fixtures:  14

9 Home, 5 Away

After Bere Alston United (H) on 12th January, the next 5 matches are away (4 League, I Cup), next Home match 23rd February v Liskeard Athletic

After that, only one Away match (Holsworthy on 13th April)

Of the last 9 League matches, 8 are at Home

Free entry for Home match v Plymouth Marjon on Saturday 6th April

Last two matches are Penzance (H) on Good Friday, and Porthleven (H) on Wednesday 1st May

Cup competition:

SWPL League Cup quarter-final at Premier Division Elburton Villa on Saturday 9th February

Mousehole are the only Division One club left in the competition, having already beaten 3 Premier Division sides

Semi-finals are Tuesday 26th/Wednesday 27th March at neutral venues

 

by Jeff Richardson

MATCH REPORT – MOUSEHOLE RESERVES 7-2 PENRYN ATHLETIC RESERVES

MOUSEHOLE RESERVES 7-2 PENRYN ATHLETIC RESERVES

WHIRLWIND SPORTS TRELAWNY LEAGUE, PREMIER DIVISION

SATURDAY 5th JANUARY 2019

AT TRUNGLE PARC

Mousehole Reserves made it a very happy start to the new year by leapfrogging their opponents into third place in the table with an astonishing second half turnaround after being 1-0 in arrears at the interval.

The Trungle Parc pitch was in fantastic condition and the clubhouse hospitality was top notch for both spectators and players.

On a cold afternoon both sides took a while to settle down into a rhythm and both had opportunities to score, Dom Angove in the Mousehole goal making a great diving save to deny Penryn the opening goal.  Mousehole were slowly taking control of the game, but the quality of crossing and passing needed a little bit of fine tuning.  Against the flow of play the visitors took full advantage of a misjudgement to go ahead in the 27th minute.  Mousehole rallied but a strong Penryn defence stood firm to preserve their first half lead.

Whatever the nature of The Seagulls’ half time team talk, it paid early dividends in dramatic fashion with five goals in the first fifteen minutes. Within two minutes a cross from the left by Joe Davies found the head of JJ Simmonds for Mousehole to draw level.  Another two minutes and a second goal arrived as a Nathan Goodspeed cross again from the left was headed in by Caleb Marsden.  After some excellent chasing down Michael Fitchett found JJ Simmonds who ran through the Penryn defence to take the score to 3-1 in the 54th minute.  Jamie Simons then added a fourth in the 58th minute, and minutes later JJ Simmonds’ perfect pass found Fitchett charging through Penryn defence and around both defender and keeper for goal number 5.

Penryn came back with a goal in the 64th minute to make it 5-2, but four minutes later a Jamie Simons cross found Callum George, who slotted in Mousehole’s 6th.  After a spate of substitutions around the 70th minute mark, the home side continued on the attack, with Jamie Simons completing the scoring in the 84th minute, though the action continued with the Penryn keeper forced into a fine save a minute later to deny Caleb Marsden.

The game had been all the more enjoyable because of the excellent refereering of Steve Annis, with both teams getting on with playing a good standard of football – and it was also a pleasant surprise for the airwaves to be free of constant verbal interference.

For Mousehole, this was another creditable all-round team performance, with the defence playing a full part in the victory.  A fifth league win in a row, scoring 23 goals and conceding only 5, lifts them up to third place in the Premier Division in their first season after promotion.

The next fixture is this Saturday (12th January), a 4th Round Bond Cornwall Junior Cup tie against league leaders Penwith Exiles at Mounts Bay School, kick off 2pm.  Mousehole will be looking to avenge their narrow single goal defeat by their local rivals at Trungle Parc earlier in the season.

Mousehole Reserves:  Dom Angove, Jonathan Fitchett, Jason Simmonds, Michael Fitchett, Nathan Goodspeed, Joe Davies (captain), Benji Ward, Jacob Trudgeon, Tom Hooper, Caleb Marsden, Harry Tonkin, Alex Nixon, Jamie Simons, Callum George, Tom Hands.

by Jeff Richardson

MATCH REPORT – PLYMSTOCK UTD

PLYMSTOCK UNITED 1-1 MOUSEHOLE

SOUTH WEST PENINSULA LEAGUE, DIVISION 1 WEST

SATURDAY 29th DECEMBER 2018

AT DEAN CROSS

Mousehole reached the halfway point of their League campaign with an away point against a Plymstock side who stood one point ahead from three games more, and proved to be the usual difficult opponents on their own pitch.

The energetic hosts created the better of the first half chances, with Seagulls’ keeper Jason Robertson blocking a fierce drive which ricocheted on to the crossbar and over in the 37th minute.

The second half was a different story, as Mousehole retained more of the ball and made serious inroads into Plymstock’s previously solid defence.

Steven Ziboth put the visitors ahead with a low shot into the far corner from 12 yards after Steve Burt had broken through from midfield to set up Hermann Niamke for a pass across the area.

But the lead lasted barely two minutes as a right wing cross was met with a simple downward header by Connor Rush from a central position eight yards out.  Plymstock briefly stepped up the pressure and came close twice after robbing Mousehole in the final third.

But the last 25 minutes belonged almost entirely to The Seagulls as they pegged the home side back in their own half.  Billy Curtis shot over after Steven Ziboth’s drive had been blocked in a crowded goalmouth on 70 minutes.  Two minutes later Gerens James’ header from Paulo Sousa’s cross just cleared the crossbar.

In an eventful last ten minutes, a plausible penalty appeal for a foul on Hermann Niamke was turned down, two corners in quick succession resulted in a shot blocked and a header marginally wide, while in a rare foray over the halfway line a Plymstock free kick from 30 yards just missed the target.

Back in the home side’s penalty area, some desperate defending kept out three goalbound shots in a row, including one hacked off the line when it looked like an added-time winner.

In the end, Plymstock were glad to hear the final whistle, while Mousehole would have wished for another five minutes.

The Seagulls end the year in sixth place, with 7 wins, 4 draws and 3 defeats, having played 9 of those fixtures away, and with several games in hand on four of the five teams above them.

The second half of Mousehole’s season is full of positive expectation as they settle into a controlled passing style, aim to make the most of their nine home games including against all of the current top four, and look forward to the prospect of promotion to the new Step 6 League in the summer.

The Seagulls are without a game next Saturday as their originally scheduled opponents Wadebridge Town are in Senior Cup action, so the next fixture is at home against Bere Alston United at Trungle Parc on Saturday 12th January, kick off 2:15pm.

Mousehole:  Jason Robertson, Tyler Tonkin, Billy Curtis (captain), Mark Richards, Tom Hands, Steve Burt, Lez Cela, Paulo Sousa, Hermann Niamke, Gerens James, Steven Ziboth.

Substitutes: Luke Hunter (for Mark Richards, 46), Kevin Nicholson (for Tyler Tonkin, 68), Kingsley Burrows, Sam Shulberg, Ryan Andrew.

Scorers: Mousehole – Steven Ziboth, 50.   Plymstock – Connor Rush, 52.

Referee:  Stuart Ash.

by Jeff Richardson

RESERVES REPORT CATCH-UP

Two big wins for the reserves over the festive season and here are the reports….

ST BURYAN 0-3 MOUSEHOLE RESERVES

WHIRLWIND SPORTS TRELAWNY LEAGUE, PREMIER DIVISION

SATURDAY 22nd DECEMBER 2018, AT THE COMMUNITY HOUSE

After all the inclement weather experienced in the Penwith area over the last week, it was good to see this local derby going ahead, with both sides deserving full credit on, not surprisingly, a quite soft pitch.

Both sides battled for that opening goal and it was very much an even contest, until the 20th minute when Nathan Goodspeed fired a shot from outside the Buryan penalty box which kept low past the diving keeper to open the scoring.

Buryan pressed for the equaliser, but the Mousehole defence and midfield stood fast.  The Seagulls could have had a penalty when Michael Fitchett burst through on a one to one with the Buryan keeper and went down, but the referee deemed it a dive rather than a foul.  Recent signing Callum George from Penzance come on as a substitute five minutes from half time after JJ Simmonds took a knock.

As at the start of the first half, both teams were very equally matched after the interval, but slowly and surely Mousehole started to take control, with volleys from Jamie Simonds and Michael Fitchett going just wide.  Caleb Marsden on the left then made a superb pass to Jamie Simons on the right, who found the target for the second goal of the afternoon.

Buryan started to press harder to try and recover the brace scored against them, but Caleb Marsden made a strong run on the left and was brought down for a penalty which he put away for 3-0 to Mousehole.

Squad:  Dominic Angove, Jonathan Fitchett, Jason Simmonds, Michael Fitchett, Nathan Goodspeed, Tom McGarry, Joe Davies, Benji Ward, Jacob Trudgeon, Tom Hooper, Caleb Marsden, Harry Tonkin, Alex Nixon, Jamie Simons, Callum George.

MOUSEHOLE RESERVES 3-1 HELSTON ATHLETIC THIRDS

WHIRLWIND SPORTS TRELAWNY LEAGUE, PREMIER DIVISION

SATURDAY 29th DECEMBER 2018

AT TRUNGLE PARC

Fourth played fifth on a very mild but grey late-December afternoon with intermittent mizzle.  Despite the overcast conditions Trungle Parc was looking attractive and the superb playing surface was a great tribute to the work of grounds team.

The small crowd were well entertained by good quality football by both sides.  Helston were unlucky in the 9th minute when, after some poor defending, Dominic Angove made a first class save to prevent Helston taking the lead.

Slowly, Mousehole were making inroads and taking control of the game, with some excellent mid-field work tied in with some solid defensive play keeping the ever-dangerous Helston at bay.  And in the 16th minute a Joe Davies volley from a free kick saw The Seagulls take the lead.

Jamie Simons was substituted following an awkward turn, which damaged his hamstring, with Ben Foulkes replacing him on the right wing for the remainder of the game.  Mousehole maintained control and on the stroke of 45 minutes, Michael Fitchett scored goal number two following a corner, after the Helston goal keeper palmed the ball down directly into his path.

Into the second half, some excellent play saw the ball brought out from defence through mid-field and on to Foulkes on the right wing.  His resulting cross was met by Fitchett in the centre of the Helston penalty box and his volley screamed into the net, but the Helston linesman raised his flag and after consultation the referee disallowed the goal.  However, a few minutes later Fitchett used his height to score goal number three of the afternoon from a corner.

Helston continued to battle and in the 81st minute they were rewarded when a shot saved by Angove bounced of his extended leg and was calmly pounced on.

This was a good all-round team effort, with the players making full use of the width of the pitch, to earn an important victory.  The result keeps Mousehole in 4th position, before the visit to Trungle Parc next Saturday (5th January, 2.30pm) of 3rd place Penryn Athletic Reserves who are two points ahead.

Squad:  Dominic Angove, Jonathan Fitchett, Jason Simmonds, Michael Fitchett, Nathan Goodspeed, Joe Davies (captain), Benji Ward, Jacob Trudgeon, Tom Hooper, Caleb Marsden, Harry Tonkin, Alex Nixon, Jamie Simons, Callum George, Ben Foulkes.

 

by Jeff Richardson

MATCH REPORT – MOUSEHOLE 2-0 DOBWALLS – 15 DEC 2018

MOUSEHOLE 2-0 DOBWALLS

SOUTH WEST PENINSULA LEAGUE, DIVISION 1 WEST

SATURDAY 15TH DECEMBER 2018

AT TRUNGLE PARCIn one of only two games surviving the weather in the Division, Mousehole made the most of one of their games in hand to move up to fourth place in the table with a hard-earned win over Dobwalls.

Despite the continuous rain in the preceding 48 hours, the Trungle Parc surface was in superb condition on a sunny and cold afternoon, and it was only the strong wind that caused the players problems.  But it proved to be a scrappy encounter with few cohesive patterns of play until Mousehole took control of proceedings in the second half.

Dobwalls displayed their customary battling qualities from the outset, constantly disputing the officials’ decisions both on the field and from the touch line.  And it was no surprise when Referee Mark Hosking dismissed Dobwalls manager Simon Westlake after another volley of abuse five minutes from half time.

Mousehole’s top scorer Gerens James had put his side ahead in the 22nd minute with instant control and a cool side-footed finish from 15 yards when Tom Hands found him in space with a waist-high cross from the left after good work down the flank by Hermann Niamke.

The reward for the team’s patient approach came in the 71st minute when James doubled the score – and condemned Dobwalls to defeat – sweeping home Hamza Kaid’s low cross following a quickly taken free kick on the right.

When Dobwalls concentrated on playing football they had made some inroads into the final third, creating three chances in a ten minute spell either side of the hour, being denied by two great defensive blocks followed by a diving save by Jason Robertson to divert a fierce 18-yard shot by Dan O’Brien.

Having lost only twice in the League this season – and not since the end of September – Mousehole are now handily placed in fourth position, with home games against the top three to come in February and March, and an amazing seven of their last eight League fixtures to be played at Trungle Parc

The Seagulls’ next match is this Saturday (22nd, 2.15pm kick off) at fifth place St Dennis, who are on the same number of points but from three games more and with an inferior goal difference.  The Saints are one of the teams Mousehole need to finish above to be sure of securing membership of the new Step 6 League next season.

In other fixture news:

– The Boxing Day ‘local derby’ kick off at Penzance has been changed from 11am to 12 noon

– The home match against Wadebridge Town scheduled for Saturday 5th January has been postponed, as Wadebridge are involved in a Cornwall Senior Cup tie that day

– The draw for the quarter finals of the SWP League Cup sees Mousehole travel to Elburton Villa on 9th February, the sixth Premier Division side the Seagulls will have faced in Cup competitions this season, having won four of the previous five.

Mousehole v Dobwalls: Jason Robertson, Tyler Tonkin, Billy Curtis (captain), Mark Richards, Tom Hands, Luke Hunter, Steve Burt, Lorenzo Qerimi, Hamza Kaid, Gerens James, Hermann Niamke

Substitutes:  Steven Ziboth (for Hermann Niamke, 62), Lezion Cela (for Lorenzo Qerimi, 69), Abdel Ben Halima Hajjem (for Tyler Tonkin, 80), Jamie Devine, Sam Shulberg.

Scorers: Gerens James 22, 71.

Referee: Mark Hoskins.    Attendance: 37.

by Jeff Richardson

GOALS GALORE AS CUP HOLDERS ARE KNOCKED OUT IN FIRST ROUND

PENZANCE 5-3 MOUSEHOLE

CORNWALL CHARITY CUP, The Durning Lawrence Cup, in aid of The Invictus Trust

FIRST ROUND TIE, SATURDAY 1ST DECEMBER 2018,

AT PENLEE PARK

Just six months after a sparkling 5-0 win over Wadebridge Town in the Final of the Charity Cup, Mousehole were eliminated from this season’s competition in an incident-packed first round tie by near neighbours Penzance.

The result came as something of a shock to the form book as The Seagulls had been defeated only once in two months, whereas inconsistent Penzance had lost at lowly Bude Town in their last match despite holding leaders Liskeard Athletic to a draw the week before.

It was certainly a day to forget for Mousehole as they were without several injured key members of the first team squad and created for themselves a major self-inflicted problem, as well as an uphill battle, with an unnecessary sending off just before half time.

Penzance on the other hand will be jubilant after their biggest win over their fiercest rivals in living memory and can now look forward to the ‘local derby’ league encounter at home on Boxing Day with confidence high.

The Magpies signalled their attacking intent from the outset, forcing their former keeper Dom Angove into a great save in the 4th minute as he stretched to claw out a goalbound lob.  Back came Mousehole with Lorenzo Qerimi firing over from a one-on-one position on 14 minutes and driving past the angle from the edge of the box two minutes later.

At the other end Penzance were unlucky with 20 minutes gone when a 20-yard shot was deflected just wide past a wrong-footed Angove, but they then survived two chances when Paulo Sousa missed the target from close range on 27 and player-manager Kevin Nicholson’s low drive skidded inches past the far post on 32.

Centre back Ryan Andrew was withdrawn injured on 33 after a crunching tackle and a lengthy delay, but the first of several talking points came on 38 when referee Rowan Clarke awarded a penalty after he spotted an infringement as defenders and attackers all jostled for a floated cross from the right.  After prolonged and indignant protests from the visitors, ex-Seagull Lewis Caspell drove the spot kick low into the corner to put the hosts in the lead.

Another disputed decision, this time about a throw-in deep in Mousehole’s half, led to another Penzance goal in the second minute of added-on time, as a long cross from the touchline to the far post was expertly headed home in characteristic fashion by Mark Vercesi, another ex-Seagull.  And as The Magpies celebrated, worse was to follow for Mousehole when Paulo Sousa’s comment about the officiating earned him a straight red card, thereby becoming the fourth Mousehole player to be sent off this season.

The second half started with Penzance content to sit back while Mousehole’s ten men passed the ball around looking for an opening to get back into the game.  But Kevin Nicholson went off injured in the 58th minute and five minutes later James Vercesi made it 3-0 with an easy close-range finish after brother Mark had opened up a depleted defence.

On 68 minutes Gerens James got on the scoresheet for 3-1 with a penalty after substitute Craig Wilcox had been fouled in the box, but Mark Vercesi restored The Magpies’ three goal advantage on 75 when he won yet another header to nod against the post and was then first to the rebound.  And James Vercesi had plenty of time and space to shoot home for 5-1 with ten minutes left as Penzance continued to do the simple things well.

The game drew to a close with Mousehole restoring a semblance of pride with two goals in two minutes.  Hamza Kaid scored his first for the club after chasing a loose ball on the left and cutting in past two defenders to score off the far post on 90, followed by Jake Andrew firing home a deflected shot from 15 yards on 90+2.

Penzance now move forward into the quarter finals of the Charity Cup on February 9th, whereas Mousehole also have a quarter-final tie to look forward to in the League Cup, with several third-round ties still to be played.

Mousehole’s away league fixture at Holsworthy this Saturday (8th) has been postponed – with a new date of April 13th – as the hosts are involved in a Devon Premier Cup tie against Elmore which was called off last Saturday.  Penzance are at bottom club Ludgvan on Saturday (2:15pm).

The Seagulls are next in action on Saturday 15th December with a home league game against Dobwalls at Trungle Parc, kick off 2:15pm.

Mousehole v Penzance:  Dom Angove, Tyler Tonkin, Billy Curtis (captain), Ryan Andrew, Kevin Nicholson, Luke Hunter, Steve Burt, Lorenzo Qerimi, Paulo Sousa, Gerens James, Hamza Kaid.

Substitutes:  Tom Hands (for Ryan Andrew, 33), Jake Andrew (for Lorenzo Qerimi, 46), Craig Wilcox (for Kevin Nicholson, 58), Jason Robertson, Sam Shulberg.

Scorers:  Mousehole – Gerens James (pen 68), Hamza Kaid (90), Jake Andrew (90+2).  Penzance – Lewis Caspell (pen 38), Mark Vercesi (45+2, 75), James Vercesi (63, 80).

Referee:  Rowan Clarke.