Barnstaple Town 2-6 Mousehole
Western League Premier Division
Saturday 29th October 2022
At Mill Road
Mousehole scorers:
Hayden Turner (2), Mark Goldsworthy (2), Tallan Mitchell, Andy Watkins
SUMMARY
Mousehole and their sizeable band of supporters enjoyed a treat in North Devon with a commanding six-goal performance to see off their close rivals, extend their unbeaten run to ten weeks, and reach their highest League position of the season
MATCH PREVIEW
These two teams had never played each other before this season, but oddly today is the fourth time they’ve met in just the first three months of the current campaign.
After relegation from the Southern League, Barnstaple stand in 6th place in the Western League Premier Division with an unbeaten home record. Mousehole are one place and three points above, with an unbeaten away record. So, unless it’s a draw today, something’s got to give.
In the three earlier head-to-heads, Mousehole drew 1-1 at Mill Road in the FA Cup, before winning the replay at home five days later by 3-2 after extra time, while in the League game at Trungle Parc at the beginning of this month the contest ended level at 1-1. All three games were very tight affairs, which could have gone either way, demonstrating that the two teams are evenly matched.
Last Saturday in the FA Vase First Round, Barnstaple were surprisingly eliminated 1-0 away at fellow WLP side Wellington, while Mousehole won 3-1 at Lydney Town of the Hellenic League Premier.
Mousehole, with new signing Josh Baxter on the bench, will be playing in their highly visible light-turquoise and yellow kit. They are on a run of ten games undefeated in all competitions.
Barnstaple have the familiar ex-Helston trio of Stuart Bowker, Billy Tucker and Ryan Turner in their line-up, accompanied by several promising youngsters formerly with the club’s highly successful U18s.
There’s plenty of grass on the pitch and it’s a dull but dry afternoon.
KEY POINTS OF THE MATCH
1 minute: Stuart Bowker sets up Billy Tucker for an early attempt from 20 yards which misses the post by some distance
4 minutes: Jack Calver is tackled fiercely after a run towards the home goal, but it’s not a foul and The Seagulls’ captain is injured
5 minutes: Stuart Bowker turns Adel Gafaiti and breaks away some 50 yards on the left, with his inside pass well cut out by Steve Burt inside the box
6 minutes: GOAL FOR MOUSEHOLE. Reece Thomson latches on to a chipped forward pass some 35 yards from goal and as keeper Liam Kingston comes out the tall midfielder coolly touches the ball sideways for HAYDEN TURNER to stroke into the empty net.
15 minutes: Stuart Bowker’s 18-yard drive is deflected and creeps slowly past the post for a corner
16 minutes: Liam Kingston has been good at spotting spaces behind his defenders – as Reece Thomson nods the ball on for Mark Goldsworthy the keeper races out fully 30 yards to boot away the danger, the third time he’s done that in the opening quarter hour
17 minutes: Stuart Bowker dispossesses Adel Gafaiti and shoots just wide of the far post from an angle on the left
20 minutes: It’s a re-run of the race between Mark Goldsworthy and keeper Kingston – the striker however this time wins the ball in the 50/50 challenge and fires towards the open goal, but a defender has got back to clear
21 minutes: An unpleasant incident goes un-noticed by the officials as Billy Tucker appears to stamp on Tallan Mitchell as they contest the ball on the halfway line
23 minutes: GOAL FOR MOUSEHOLE. The Seagulls double the lead as HAYDEN TURNER breaks through a tackle and homes in on goal from the left before curling a magnificent right-foot shot into the far top corner from just inside the box – a similar strike to his FA Vase double at Lydney last Saturday
24 minutes: Stuart Bowker this time gets a shot on target, with keeper Lewis Moyle diving full-length to tip the ball round the post for a corner. Across comes an in-swinging flag-kick – and it’s scrambled off the line.
25 minutes: A bit of drama as Hayden Turner is in the hunt for a hat-trick, but hits the bar from Tallan Mitchell’s low cross – and then the Assistant Referee’s flag is raised for offside
28 minutes: RED CARD FOR BARNSTAPLE. Reece Thomson’s headed flick puts Tallan Mitchell through on goal and as the ball is pushed past the advancing keeper the Mousehole man is adjudged to have been fouled by centre-back David Slade. The home side now down to ten men for an hour, and 2-0 down as well.
40 minutes: RED CARD FOR MOUSEHOLE. Two-goal Hayden Turner is involved in a momentary tussle with Callum Laird over a disputed throw-in, with the nearby Referee having no hesitation in levelling up the numbers.
42 minutes: Adel Gafaiti makes an athletic and timely clearance in front of goal to prevent Tor Swann pulling the trigger
45+4 minutes: The half-time whistle goes with Mousehole 2-0 in the lead, but with the scorer of both goals sent off. Maybe both red cards were a little harsh in the circumstances, but now there’ll be 10% more space on the pitch. As always at 2-0, the next goal could be significant. Which team will make the most of the extra space?
The second half
50 minutes: Max Hill does well under pressure to clear away Billy Ticker’s awkward in-swinging corner
57 minutes: GOAL FOR BARNSTAPLE. The visitors fail to get the ball away on the edge of their own penalty area, giving TOR SWANN the chance to drive a low shot through a crowd and into the net. Barnstaple 1-2 Mousehole. Will this be a turning point, giving the hosts the incentive to pile on the pressure and force Mousehole back on the defensive?
58 minutes: GOAL FOR MOUSEHOLE. Certainly a turning point a few seconds later – of a different kind! Straight from the re-start, a couple of incisive forward passes put TALLAN MITCHELL through a gap down the middle, with the midfielder taking the ball at speed round keeper Kingston and slotting into the vacant net. A sensational goal in the immediate context of the match. Barnstaple 1-3 Mousehole.
59 minutes: GOAL FOR MOUSEHOLE. Incredibly, it’s 4-1, and another top-quality goal, as Reece Thomson and Jack Calver slice open the home defence on the left to present MARK GOLDSWORTHY with the chance to roll the ball with great composure past the keeper and inside the far post from eight yards.
61 minutes: Comparing the effects of the red cards, it’s fair to say that Barnstaple have suffered more from the loss of a centre back. Tallan Mitchell darts into a gap and waltzes round the exposed keeper but is crowded out before shooting.
64 minutes: GOAL FOR MOUSEHOLE. Three goals in three minutes becomes four in seven! MARK GOLDSWORTHY makes it 5-1, surging into the penalty area and firing home off the keeper’s body.
67 minutes: Mousehole substitute – Reece Thomson is replaced by newcomer Josh Baxter at right-back, with Steve Burt moving to his more familiar midfield role
76 minutes: Mousehole substitute – Jack Calver is replaced by Louis Price
79 minutes: Mousehole substitute – no hat-trick today for Mark Goldsworthy as he’s replaced by Andy Watkins
80 minutes: Paulo Sousa makes inroads on the left to put across a great cross which Louis Price pokes wide from six yards
85 minutes: Mousehole substitute – Tallan Mitchell is replaced by Jack Symons
86 minutes: GOAL FOR BARNSTAPLE. Tommy Rogers tried a shot from the right which is half-blocked in front of goal and RYAN TURNER turns it over the line from close range. Barnstaple Town 2-5 Mousehole.
90 minutes: Louis Price lays on a chance for Jack Symons whose nudge towards goal is kept out at full stretch by Liam Kingston at his near post
90+1 minutes: GOAL FOR MOUSEHOLE. Louis Price finds ANDY WATKINS in space between two defenders midway through the Barnstaple half, and the veteran striker takes it on in one smooth movement towards goal and side-foots the ball with perfect timing and precision past the advancing Kingston for goal number six.
90+5 minutes: The full-time whistle brings down the curtain on a high-quality Mousehole performance in an eventful match, as a result of which they climb up two places to third in the table and move on to eleven games without defeat.
MOUSEHOLE (with used substitutes)
Lewis Moyle (GK), Steve Burt, Adel Gafaiti, Max Hill, Paulo Sousa, Tallan Mitchell (Jack Symons), Reece Thomson (Josh Baxter), Andy Elcock, Jack Calver (C) (Louis Price), Mark Goldsworthy (Andy Watkins), Hayden Turner
Other substitute: Callam Mconie
MATCH OFFICIALS
Scott Robertson (Referee) with Mark Walker and Robert Creron (Assistant Referees)
ATTENDANCE: 192
NOVEMBER FIXTURES FOR MOUSEHOLE
Tuesday 1st, 7.45pm
HOME v TORPOINT ATHLETIC
Western League Premier Division
Saturday 5th, 3pm
Away v Cadbury Heath, WLP
Tuesday 8th, 7.45pm
Away v Saltash United
Cornwall Senior Cup 2nd Round
Saturday 12th, 3pm
HOME v HARTPURY UNIVERSITY
FA Vase 2nd Round
Tuesday 15th, 7.45pm
HOME v BUCKLAND ATHLETIC
Les Phillips (Western League) Cup 1st Round
Saturday 19th, 3pm
Away v Sherborne Town, WLP
Tuesday 22nd, 7.45pm
Away v Millbrook, WLP
Saturday 26th, 3pm HOME v ASHTON & BACKWELL UNITED, WLP
