Match Report – Ludgvan 16th Sept 2017

LUDGVAN 2-3 MOUSEHOLE

SATURDAY 16TH SEPTEMBER 2017

AT FAIRFIELD

SOUTH WEST PENINSULA LEAGUE CUP, FIRST ROUND

SPONSORED BY WALTER C PARSON FUNERAL DIRECTORS

A good crowd of 143 witnessed an entertaining end-to-end local derby between two SWP Division One West rivals in the first round of the League Cup, with Mousehole securing a well-merited win to earn an intriguing home tie in the second round against Premier Division Camelford.

The recently-promoted Ludgvan side would have started as favourites, having made an unbeaten start to their first season at a higher level with five league wins out of six and already three points ahead at the top of the table.  The youthful Mousehole squad was still taking shape but gaining momentum with some impressive performances despite only one win – last Saturday – in the first seven outings.

The two local rivals meet before kick-off. Mousehole players (left to right in white and green): Kevin Lawrence, Bradley Wills, Connor Davey, Jorome Slew, Liam Andrew (partly hidden), Luke Johnson, Danny Mullarkey, Josh Otto (partly hidden) and Frank Katikaza. Ludgvan in their maroon away kit included several ex-Mousehole players, including Dan Magee (left), Jamie Devine (3), Wade Brown (10) and Max Davies (11).

Mousehole had centre-back Liam Andrew starting after a two-month injury lay-off and welcomed the experienced Danny Mullarkey and 19-year old Ralph Katikaza into their defence alongside Sam Schulberg in goal, with two more newcomers midfielder Matt Moody and striker Eze Amadi on the bench, but were missing Max Hill (unwell), Yeshe Briar (injured) and Lewis Caspall who has joined Penzance.

Any expectations that the game would proceed according to the form-book were quickly dispelled as The Seagulls started on the front foot with bright attacking football and stormed into a two-goal lead within five minutes before the hosts had time to settle.  Captain Billy Curtis came up from the back for a Kevin Lawrence corner from the right after 3 minutes and was first to the knock-down to scoop the ball in from six yards.  Two minutes later Jorome Slew sprinted between two defenders to latch on to a diagonal cross from Luke Johnson and place a cute lob into the net over the stranded goalkeeper.

jorome slew mousehole
Jorome Slew (centre-right) scores Mousehole’s second goal after 5 minutes, congratulated by Luke Johnson (7) who supplied the cross, with Bradley Wills (left, partly hidden) and Danny Mullarkey (right)

Ludgvan, wearing their maroon change kit, eventually came into the game and their direct play posed more of a threat as the half wore on.  Pulling a goal back in fortuitous circumstances when a driven right wing cross skimmed off the top of Liam Andrew’s head into the net for 2-1 on 30 minutes, they came close again within five minutes as Sam Schulberg denied The Hurlers’ regular goalscorer Gerens James with a one-on-one chance.

Ludgvan have made a habit of coming back to win when in arrears, so with the scoreline 2-1 in the visitors’ favour as the second half got underway the next goal was likely to be crucial.  And so it proved.

Early on, with Mousehole continuing with their confident passing style, Josh Otto headed over a great chance from Luke Johnson’s cross, but it was not until the 81st minute that The Seagulls went deservedly 3-1 up from a penalty scored by Jorome Slew – his 9th goal of the season, and ultimately the winner – after being felled chasing a loose ball on the right side of the box.

The Hurlers continued to get the ball up quickly to their forwards, succeeding on 89 minutes in bundling the ball into the net despite vigorous protests of hand-ball after hitting the bar from a corner, to set up a tense seven additional minutes, but The Seagulls’ resolute defence dealt with the bombardment comfortably to block out the hosts’ prospect of extra time.

Mousehole’s reward for this win is the opportunity to challenge higher-division Camelford in a home second round tie on October 14th.  After the re-opening of Trungle Parc with the visit of Leeds United on Sunday 1st October following major works over the summer months, the match against The Camels will be the first competitive fixture to be played on the ground this season, and promises to showcase the talents of two clubs focussing on youth development with several of the visitors’ team featuring in the successful Cornwall Under-18s squad.

Mousehole:  Sam Shulberg (GK), Danny Mullarkey, Billy Curtis (captain), Liam Andrew, Frank Katikaza, Kevin Lawrence, Connor Davey, Bradley Wills, Josh Otto, Luke Johnson, Jorome Slew

Substitutes:  Matt Moody (for Connor Davey, 65), Eze Amadi (for Bradley Wills, 82), Joshua Storey, Louis Graham

Mousehole scorers:  Billy Curtis (3), Jorome Slew (5, 81 pen)

Referee:  Mark Hosking

Attendance: 143

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