MOUSEHOLE IN FIVE-STAR FORM AS THEY PROGRESS IN FA VASE

Shepton Mallet 1-5 Mousehole

Isuzu FA Vase Second Qualifying Round

Saturday 24^th September 2022

At West Shepton Playing Fields

SUMMARY

The strength in depth of this season’s Mousehole squad was in full evidence as they reserved their best overall performance so far to record an impressive away victory in a repeat of the result achieved this time last year

PREVIEW

By a remarkable co-incidence, Mousehole return to north Somerset today almost exactly a year to the day since a memorable occasion at the same venue at the same stage of the same cup competition.

On 25^th September 2021, The Seagulls travelled to The Mallet, who were then enjoying an unbeaten season without conceding a goal at home, and achieved an against-the-odds win through an Andy Elcock strike within five minutes, followed by a tremendous defensive display including playing the last half-hour with ten men and a defiant performance by stand-in keeper Jimmy Weeks.

Today, history repeats itself in more ways than one, with the hosts currently having a 100% League record to stand in third place after winning all seven games, and Mousehole in sixth place with 15 points from eight games, with three wins and a draw from the last four.

Last season, the two League games between the teams also proved to be very interesting. A 2-2 draw at Shepton thanks to a masterclass in goalkeeping by Ollie Chenoweth, was followed later by a sombre memorial occasion at Trungle Parc marking the 40^th anniversary of the Penlee Lifeboat Tragedy, at which the Solomon Browne Stand was officially opened by RNLI. That match will also be remembered for an 80^th minute Mousehole goal from a disputed free kick, and an even later red card (rescinded afterwards on appeal) for Ollie Chenoweth, with outfield substitute Jonny Ludlam taking over the gloves and producing arguably the save of the season to preserve a 1-0 win.

Today’s Mousehole team news is that captain Jack Calver and Josh Otto remain sidelined through injury, Callam Mconie and Paulo Sousa are unwell, and Ollie Chenoweth is unavailable. Youngster Lewis Moyle is in goal – the fourth different goalkeeper to face Shepton in four games! Kyle Fraser makes his third appearance of the season on the left side of defence. The substitutes include 16-year old defender Ned Symons, another youngster from the successful Development team given a taste of First team matchday experience.

Today’s tie will be decided by a penalty shoot-out if the scores are level at the end of normal time.

The winners will be through to FA Vase First Round Proper on Saturday 22^nd October, with the draw taking place at lunchtime on Monday 26^th September.

The weather is fine, the pitch is in good condition, and Mousehole are kicking up the slope in the first half.

KEY POINTS OF THE MATCH

2 minutes: Hayden Turner makes a great break down the left into the home penalty area, and his inside pass gives Reece Thomson a shooting chance but the effort is blocked

3 minutes: The hosts have a half-chance which is sliced wide

4 minutes: GOAL FOR MOUSEHOLE. Hayden Turner’s pass inside to Reece Thomson is moved quickly on to the right, where LOUIS PRICE goes outside his marker and drives the ball fiercely into the roof of the net. 1-0 to the visitors early on, just like last season! A deadly finish from a great move.

10 minutes: Louis Price makes a forceful run and feeds Hayden Turner, whose shot on goal is blocked

12 minutes: The Mallet are awarded a highly debatable free kick just 19 yards out – The Seagulls defence does its job at the expense of a corner

15 minutes: Lewis Moyle shows great reflexes to keep out Ieuan Crowe’s one-on-one chance

26 minutes: GOAL FOR MOUSEHOLE. A scintillating passing move inside from the right opens up space for KYLE FRASER 25 yards out and his left-foot shot fizzes past keeper Tom Easterbrook high into the net. A stunning goal from an unexpected source.

28 minutes: Reece Thomson sends in a low shot from 25 yards and Easterbrook goes full-length to beat it out just inside the post

43 minutes: Shepton Mallet get a sight of goal, Aaron Seviour volleying too high as the ball drops invitingly on the edge of the box

45 minutes: Lewis Moyle has seen a lot of the ball in this half, mainly from crosses and corners, and his handling and distribution have been impeccable.

45+2 minutes: It’s half-time and Mousehole’s dominant first-half performance is rewarded with a 2-0 lead.

The second half:

49 minutes: As expected, the hosts have started after the interval on the front foot. Lewis Moyle does well to tip a goalbound shot from distance on to the crossbar for a corner

51 minutes: Mousehole’s young keeper is again in action, diving at full stretch to push out a low 30-yard free kick

56 minutes: GOAL FOR MOUSEHOLE. Shepton’s keeper Tom Easterbrook is noted for playing as an extra defensive ‘sweeper’ when his side are upfield on the attack – but this time he’s caught out. Mousehole regain possession and play the ball forward quickly to HAYDEN TURNER with his back to goal on the left half-way line. The striker turns and floats a perfect right-foot shot over the keeper and into the net for a 3-0 lead – three goals of superb quality.

59 minutes: Easterbrook is again in trouble as the tireless Mark Goldsworthy robs him of the ball in a one-on-one chase and rolls the ball from a difficult angle across the gaping goal with the home defence relieved to clear the ball away

60 minutes: A Mallet volley goes wide from 25 yards

62 minutes: At the other end Reece Thomson is unlucky when a great header from Hayden Turner’s corner comes back off the crossbar

63 minutes: The alert Lewis Moyle keeps out Ieuan Crowe’s snapshot for a corner

64 minutes: It’s end-to-end at the moment, with Mark Goldsworthy breaking forward and Hayden Turner’s shot deflected for a corner. From the corner Tallan Mitchell drives over from an angle.

71 minutes: GOAL FOR SHEPTON MALLET – a close-range shot into the roof of the net as Mousehole clear an angles shot off the line. Scoreline is now 1-3 and the home side will no doubt try to step up the pressure.

72 minutes: Mousehole substitute – Mark Goldsworthy is replaced by Andy Watkins

Fifteen minutes left: The hosts are now having more possession, with Mousehole looking to play on the break

76 minutes: Mousehole substitute – Reece Thomson is replaced by Jared Sims

80 minutes: The visitors’ defence is under siege. Mark Richards is the hero as he puts himself in the way of a close-range shot that looked like a certain goal

82 minutes: Mousehole’s final substitute – Louis Price is replaced by Moussa Diallo

85 minutes: Mousehole seem to have weathered the storm, are coping comfortably and keeping the ball better. Jared Sims is in space on the left of the home box and fires in a low shot towards the far corner, forcing a sprawling save from Easterbrook

86 minutes: Mousaa Diallo outpaces the home defence and prods the ball past the advancing keeper – and just wide

88 minutes: GOAL FOR MOUSEHOLE. Tallan Mitchell races to the byeline on the left and sends across a perfect ball towards the far post where ANDY WATKINS arrives with precise timing to score with a diving header. Shepton Mallet 1-4 Mousehole. Another excellent goal – and at just the right time to dampen any prospect of a late Mallet comeback

90 minutes: A Shepton free kick is lofted into a crowded penalty area where the ball ricochets around for a goal kick, with Tallan Mitchell injured in the fray

90+5 minutes: The home side try again from 30 yards – it’s deflected for a corner

90+6 minutes: The corner is cleared off the line for another corner, which is safely dealt with

90+ 7 minutes: GOAL FOR MOUSEHOLE. ANDY ELCOCK saunters in from the right, suddenly accelerates past two defenders and into space inside the area, where he unleashes an unstoppable angled shot past Easterbrook. Five great goals, five different scorers!

90+8 minutes: The full-time whistle goes with the final score Shepton Mallet 1-5 Mousehole, to end a magnificent performance which showed Mousehole at their very best in every department. It’s a big win at the start of a big week for The Seagulls as they look to take this form into the next two important league games.

🥅 | ALL FIVE GOALS from yesterday's @IsuzuFAVase win over @Mallet_AFC @favasefactfile @Cornishfootball @swsportsnews @NonLeagueCrowd #nonleague #mafc #seagulls
— 𝗠𝗢𝗨𝗦𝗘𝗛𝗢𝗟𝗘 𝗔𝗙𝗖 (@MouseholeAFC) September 25, 2022

All 5 Seagulls’ goals from the FA VASE win over Shepton Mallet

MOUSEHOLE (with used substitutes)

Lewis Moyle (GK), Steve Burt, Mark Richards (C), Max Hill, Kyle Fraser, Reece Thomson (Jared Sims), Tallan Mitchell, Andy Elcock, Louis Price (Moussa Diallo), Mark Goldsworthy (Andy Watkins), Hayden Turner

Other substitutes: Charlie Willis, Ned Symons

MATCH OFFICIALS

James Knowles (Referee) with Benjamin Taylor and Nicholas Hull (Assistant Referees)

ATTENDANCE: 227

NEXT FOR MOUSEHOLE

This Wednesday, 28^th September, 7.45pm

Away v Falmouth Town