Evesham 1-0 Mousehole

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

For several years now access to Mousehole’s ground at Trungle Parc has required players, volunteers, fans and visitors to drive down a narrow, potholed lane. It’s also taken match day traffic – and the camper vans that visit our campsite – through the quiet village of Paul.

We want to change that. We have been given access to a small slither of land joining the club to the nearby B road. We have planning permission to build a road but now need to raise the funds to finish it.

In 2023, we launched a crowdfunder to try and raise the funds required – we believe somewhere in the region of £100,000.

You can watch our campaign video here:

The campaign ended without the target being reached. So for the time being, the plans are on hold.

If you have any thoughts that might help us find a way of funding this project, we’d love to hear from you. Please drop us a line via this link or email kevinbishop@mouseholeafc.co.uk

Thank you!

Unbelievable

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

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

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

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

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

Mousehole 4 – 1 Bideford (1st October 2024)

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

When Paul Kevern and Marcus Smith moved the Illogan U12s team en masse to Mousehole for the 2018/19 season the captain of that group was Hayden Black. Even then he was a stylish player who could play anywhere across the middle of the park.

That team entered and won the ESF tournament at Butlins with Hayden leading from the front. He may be slight of frame but he’s strong on the ball with an eye for pass and is not afraid to take the less easy option when it comes to passes or runs with the ball.

Having lived and breathed football since he could walk it was inevitable that as he progressed into the development team he would make the next step up. Training regularly with the first team squad has led to him featuring in most of this season’s pre-season friendly and early season squads. As his experience grows it won’t be long before he makes his full first team debut. Exciting times lay ahead for Hayden so remember the name.

On September 7th, Jacob made his full debut for Mousehole AFC’s first team. Although we lost in a penalty shootout that night, this match will be remembered by all Seagull fans who saw it because of how well he played. To anyone who didn’t know better, they would have thought it was his one-hundredth game, not his first.

Having moved to Trungle from Illogan via the Plymouth Argyle Centre of Excellence, Jacob is a perfect example of how a good youth system should work. He was eleven when he joined us, and just six years later, here he was fitting into a strong team in the FA Trophy.

As he rose through the youth ranks, it was obvious to all that he was a special talent, so it was no surprise when he played every game for the development team last season, as they finished second in the league and reached the final of the Cornish Intermediate Cup.

Training with the first-team squad during that season brought him to the attention of Jake Ash, leading to substitute appearances in our pre-season friendlies and a place on the bench as our league campaign began. When experienced centre-half Max Hill had to come off after just fourteen minutes of our away game at Helston, some might have feared the worst as Jacob trotted onto the pitch. But after a couple of minutes, it was clear that we had a player not just for the future but for right now. Jake compared him to Bobby Moore that day, and while that might be slightly over-egging the pudding, there is no doubt that Jacob is a star on the rise.

The following article was originally published in the printed programme for the Mousehole v Malvern match on 24th August 2024. To purchase back issues of Mousehole matchday programmes, visit our club shop.

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“Annoying. Definitely annoying” 

It’s not a word most of us would land on when asked to describe our best characteristic. But Mousehole forward Jack Symons sees it as his secret weapon.

“I try to get my body in the right places and go down, so I get a lot of free kicks. So I am probably quite annoying to play against. So yeah – I think it is definitely my secret weapon. Always has been, even in kids’ football. But yeah, I do quite like it.”

It’s a hot September afternoon and we’re sitting in the air conditioned Starbucks in Penryn, just down the hill from Jack’s home in Mabe. He’s nursing a hamstring niggle that has kept him out of action for a couple of weeks. One of many injuries causing the Mousehole coaching staff headaches at the moment.  But as ever Jack – known to his team mates as Symo – is bursting to get back involved. He tells me he’s lobbying to start back in warm-up the next evening and then hopefully get game time in the next match.

Now 19, Jack has, to use his words, been terrorizing defences in Cornwall since the age of four or five. 

“I think my earliest proper memory is playing in a tournament, I think it was down at Illogan. I remember having this tussle with another kid who was about my height. And we had this real game for however long it was. I think I scored a goal but what I do remember is taking him out. He annoyed me.”

Jack is not the tallest of players and has a youthful face that hides the mature football brain underneath. 

“I’ve had it so many times. Teams always look at me and think I’m a small player. I’m not physically strong and that I’m going to be terrible or just easy to play against. And they would just kick me, basically. But, yeah, I think I do surprise them when I get them one v one and just beat them”

Throughout his life football has been a constant. Playing six days a week with teams, friends or more recently at Cornwall College. Sundays he spends watching football – Liverpool are his team and he cites Fernando Torres as having a major influence on him. And not just as a player. 

“I used to love him, and then I did love Gerard as well, but I just I adored Torres as a kid. I had loads of Torres shirts. I used to copy his haircut. Whenever he got one, I had to get the same one”

Jack’s journey to the Mousehole first team has taken him via spells at Falmouth United, where his dad Drew was manager, and the Plymouth Argyle Academy where he was for five years up until he was 14. 

His dad has been his coach since he was five, both as a parent and as manager of Falmouth United and Mousehole Development. The journey has taken the family through the highs and lows of football academy realities.

“At five, when I started coaching with him, they were just a group of young players just learning their craft. And you know, they will develop differently. But if you look at him back then, he was quite an aggressive football player at that age. And then he was picked up by Argyle, so obviously he listened and learned and took everything on as a young lad. But he had to put up with an awful lot really. He wasn’t allowed to do play with his local team when he was taken on by Argyle. But he still came and trained every week with his friends even though he was travelling to Ivybridge twice a week.  But when it all ended rather brutally for him with Argyle, I think it made him stronger with a stronger mindset to deal with things.”

It was soon after that that he was picked up by Jake Ash at Penryn College where Jack was at school. He began training with Mousehole as a sixteen-year-old and immediately loved it. Playing “with a smile on his face again” as his dad describes it. He spent a couple of seasons with the development squad while also spending time with the first team, albeit often on the bench or on for brief appearances – a period Jack describes as “frustrating”. But it’s also taught him some life skills. 

“Probably mostly patience, to be honest. You have have to be really patient to get the chances. And then it’s just sort of taking those chances whenever they come up, whether that’s a start now and again, or 20 minutes here and there. Yeah, I think patience has been the most important thing I’ve learned to be honest.”

This season however has seen him a regular starter for the firsts in the Southern League, something Charlie Davis – Jake’s Assistant Manager at Mousehole and also a former PE teacher at Penryn, says is well-warranted:

“Jack’s technical ability is second to none and his versatility is a real strength. I think it’s clear to see how he has matured over time and at just 19 years old his game awareness is brilliant. I truly believe Symo is amongst the very best in young talent within the Southwest, and it’s great to see him flying the flag for young Cornish footballers in the Southern league”. 

It’s a sentiment echoed by fellow striker Hayden Turner, last season’s top scorer in the league:

“Symo’s a great lad, he’s been so patient during his time with us in terms of game time and that has paid off. For his age he is performing at a great level and he offers us as a team so much with the quality he has. He will definitely go far in the game.”

For now, Symo is enjoying his football more than at any time in his 19 years. He describes Mousehole as “the best in the business – for coaching, training, matchday experience. It’s fun as well”.

And as for Dad, the coach who’s been there throughout not just on the pitch but at home and on those long car journeys, this stage of his career is putting a smile on his face as well.

“We always knew he had the talent. He’s just needed that opportunity and someone to believe in him and the talent would always come out. So that’s kind of where we are. I just hope he develops, keeps working hard –  which I’m sure he will. And you never know where it might take him. He’s still young, still lots to develop, still lots of things to learn. So yeah, really exciting times”

For the second year in a row, Mousehole AFC has been shortlisted for the prestigious National Football Content Awards. The club’s media operation including website, social media, video and photography, are competing for the category Best Football Club – Non-League.

Dubbed the “Oscars of the football world”, the Football Content Awards are the awards ceremony celebrating the best in online football media. They recognise and reward all content creators and online media companies in football. From the independent creators to the media organisations, small and large, they congratulate the best in class for the football content we see day to day online.

The awards ceremony is being held on November 21st at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium. Mousehole will be represented by Kevin Bishop, Dan Tatarsky, Jasmyn Richardson and Ed Varcoe. Our entry this year highlighted the work the club is doing to give young people a break in the world of sports media.

To vote for Mousehole AFC follow this link and search for Best Football Club Non League https://footballcontentawards.com/voting/

Mousehole are up against these clubs for the award:

AFC Welwyn
Baiteze Squad
Dorking Wanderers
Erith Town
Farnham Town
Goalacticos
Ilkeston Town
Punjab United
SE Dons
Southend United

Last year the event was at Anfield – here’s a few photos from the evening: