Mousehole 1-1 Barnstaple Town
Toolstation Western League Premier Division
Saturday 1st October 2022
At Trungle Parc
SUMMARY
The hosts in fifth place and the visitors in fourth produced the expected tight contest, with the draw extending Mousehole’s unbeaten run to seven games
MATCH PREVIEW
This is the third meeting between the two teams this campaign after two earlier FA Cup games – and the return League fixture at the end of October will make it four head-to-heads in the first three months of the season
Mousehole drew the FA Cup tie 1-1 at Barnstaple in early August and won the Replay 3-2 after extra time.
Standing 5th in the table, Mousehole are on a good run of form, having not lost since the FA Cup tie at Torpoint on 20th August, the latest success coming on Wednesday with a 2-0 away win at Falmouth Town
Fourth-place Barnstaple have also made a strong start to the season since relegation from the Southern League, with just two defeats, at table-topping Bridgwater Town and at high-flying Shepton Mallet.
In Mousehole’s team news, 18-year old Lewis Moyle is selected in goal for the third match in a row, and the recently-returned Adel Gafaiti is named among the substitutes.
KEY POINTS OF THE MATCH
In the pre-match warm-up, captain Mark Richards has felt the effects of the injury that caused him to be withdrawn at half-time on Wednesday, and he’s replaced in central defence by Adel Gafaiti
Mousehole are kicking towards the Cricket Club in the first half
1 minute: Mousehole instantly on the offensive – a long throw into the visitors’ penalty area is headed on by Reece Thomson and it skims past every one and the far post
2 minutes: The Seagulls very close to an early goal – Hayden Turner speeds into space on the left for a cross into the six yard box, keeper Liam Kingston spills it, the ball spins towards the open goal and centre back Brodie Montague makes a last-second clearance off the line
4 minutes: Mousehole again – Louis Price puts Mark Goldsworthy in with a chance in the area and David Slade blocks the shot
6 minutes: Tallan Mitchell drives in a swerving shot from 25 yards and keeper Kingston does well to get across to parry it away to safety
7 minutes: Reece Thomson turns and shoots but it’s too close to the keeper, who pushes it out and the loose ball is cleared
8 minutes: After a flurry of pressure, it’s Mousehole’s turn to defend – Adel Gafaiti makes a vital headed clearance inside the six yard box to clear a dangerous right-sided cross
11 minutes: A big chance for Barnstaple – Stuart Bowker advances unchallenged on goal, there’s no offside flag, but the former Helston man drives wide of the far post from 15 yards
20 minutes: A Barnstaple corner bounces around and Bowker steers an overhead kick wide
Half-way through the first half – Barnstaple have weathered the earlier Mousehole storm and are now right back in the game
28 minutes: Stuart Bowker sends an inviting cross towards the far post where Paulo Sousa guides his header carefully out for a corner
30 minutes: The visitors gain a disputed free kick 25 yards out which Billy Tucker fires at goal, but home keeper Lewis Moyle makes the save look comfortable
32 minutes: Another chance for Barnstaple as Brodie Montague is up in attack but miscues from six yards and Lewis Moyle pounces on the ball
33 minutes: Mousehole at last venture forward with menace – Hayden Turner brings the ball in from the left but shoots into the side netting with Reece Thomson and Mark Goldsworthy well placed in the middle
35 minutes: At the other end, Adel Gafaiti gets his body in the way to make a crucial block on the edge of the six yard box after Max Hill’s clearance is charged down to gift the visitors a clear opening
42 minutes: GOAL FOR MOUSEHOLE. HAYDEN TURNER speeds inside from the left past two defenders and rifles a 20-yard drive into the top right-hand corner past Liam Kingston’s full-length dive. Mousehole 1-0 Barnstaple a couple of minutes before half-time.
45+1 minutes: Callum Laird has a presentable chance for the visitors but Lewis Moyle is equal to the shot with an assured save
45+3 minutes: In the last action of the half, Billy Tucker is inches away from an equaliser with a floated free kick over the crossbar
At half time, Mousehole have a slender lead after earlier dominance, but Barnstaple have had a lot of control and looked dangerous
The second half
51 minutes: GOAL FOR BARNSTAPLE. Mousehole are caught in possession 30 yards out, Matt Andrew takes the ball deep into home territory on the right and squares to Stuart Bowker who tees up CALLUM LAIRD for an unstoppable shot into the far corner via the underside of the bar. Mousehole 1-1 Barnstaple Town – two great finishes and maybe more to come
60 minutes: Mousehole substitute – Louis Price is replaced by Callam Mconie on the right side of the attack
63 minutes: A timely interception by the visitors’ David Slade prevents a Reece Thomson pass reaching Mark Goldsworthy in front of goal
66 minutes: Hayden Turner races from halfway and his low cross across goal looks certain to be touched in by Reece Thomson or Callam Mconie but it eludes both
67 minutes: Mousehole substitute – Mark Goldsworthy is replaced by Andy Watkins
Halfway through the second half – this game looks finely balanced and could go either way
69 minutes: Lewis Moyle is at full stretch to push out a low goal-bound drive by Myles Perkins for a corner
70 minutes: Barnstaple threaten again as Billy Tucker’s corner is swung in and David Slade heads over under pressure
73 minutes: Mousehole substitute – Reece Thomson is replaced by Jared sims
75 minutes: Callam Mconie shoots for goal with a trademark left-footer but it’s straight at keeper Kingston
77 minutes: Barnstaple millimetres away from a goal – substitute William Morrish has been on the pitch for just a few minutes and his volley from 15 yards hits the inside of the post and cannons across goal where it’s cleared
80 minutes: A huge chance for Mousehole – Hayden Turner sprints clear from the halfway line with just the keeper in front of him, but he shoots wide of the post from just inside the area
90+2 minutes: So close to a Seagulls’ late winner – Adel Gafaiti is up for Hayden Turner’s corner and his downward header from six yards is somehow kept out by keeper Kingston on the line, with Jared Sims driving the loose ball too high from an angle
90+5 minutes: The visitors’ David Slade makes yet another vital interception from Callam Mconie’s pass through to Jared Sims
90+7 minutes: The full-time whistle goes with a 1-1 scoreline in a match of high quality which either side could have won on the balance of play and chances created. The draw drops each team down a place in the table, but with several games in hand on all those above, except Shepton Mallet.
MOUSEHOLE (with used substitutes)
Lewis Moyle (GK), Steve Burt, Adel Gafaiti, Max Hill, Paulo Sousa, Tallan Mitchell, Reece Thomson (Jared Sims), Andy Elcock, Louis Price (Callam Mconie), Mark Goldsworthy (c) (Andy Watkins), Hayden Turner. Other substitutes: Kyle Fraser, Mark Richards (injured)
MATCH OFFICIALS
Rowan Clarke (Referee), with Alan Hoon and Alan Smith (Assistant Referees)
ATTENDANCE: 124
NEXT FOR MOUSEHOLE
This Wednesday 5th October, 7.45pm
HOME v Callington Town
Cornwall Senior Cup First Round
Saturday 8th October, 3pm
HOME v Ilfracombe Town
Western League Premier Division
Tuesday 11th October:
Away v Millbrook postponed because of floodlight problems
Saturday 15th October, 3pm
HOME v Buckland Athletic
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Saturday 22nd October, 3pm
Away v Lydney Town
Isuzu FA Vase First Round ‘Proper’
Saturday 29th October, 3pm
Away v Barnstaple Town
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