Buckland Athletic 1-5 Mousehole (Half-time 1-0)
Western League Premier Division
Saturday 19th March 2022
At Homers Heath
Summary
After a below-par first-half performance, Mousehole bounced back after the interval in sensational fashion to dominate the hosts and gain a big win that takes them level on points with promotion rivals Tavistock and Exmouth Town
Pre-match points
Mousehole travel to South Devon in third place, looking to keep up with leaders Tavistock, who have no game today, and second-place Exmouth Town, who have (on paper) a likely home win against second-bottom team Street.
Buckland Athletic are having an inconsistent season and, despite having a superb run to the fifth round of the FA Vase, lie in 13th place in the league table – however, they have a good blend of experience and youngsters and their record shows they are capable of beating anyone on their day.
The Mousehole v Buckland match at Trungle Parc in late January resulted in a 3-2 win for The Seagulls – in the end it was a close-run thing, with The Bucks putting in a strong performance to set up a tense finish. Today it could be a tough afternoon for Jake Ash’s team.
The weather is dry, sunny and windy, the pitch is in good condition and the club’s facilities are first-class.
The key moments of the match
4 minutes: Buckland hit the post. Josh Webber’s low cross-shot from inside the area hits the far post, Ryan Bush drives the loose ball goalwards….. and it’s cleared off the line.
7 minutes: Mousehole hit back. Jack Calver has space 25 yards out and sends in a left-footer which keeper Andy Collings saves with a good low take.
9 minutes: GOAL FOR BUCKLAND ATHLETIC. Energetic pressing enables the hosts to steal the ball deep into Mousehole territory on the right and RYAN BUSH has a simple task to place the laid-back pass into the net from six yards. Quite similar to the goal conceded at Ashton & Backwell in The Seagulls’ surprise 1-0 defeat in January.
30 minutes: Mousehole have not made much of an impact so far, but there are now signs of some fluency in their play
41 minutes: Buckland break forward at speed and Richard Groves shoots wide of the far post
45+1 minutes: Mark Goldsworthy escapes his minder and is through one-on-one until keeper Collings rescues his side with a block 15 yards out
45+2 minutes: Another attack by the visitors – Tallan Mitchell makes a determined run from the half-way line and as the Bucks’ defence retreats he drives a 25-yard shot past the angle of Collings’ goal
45+3 minutes: At half-time it’s Buckland Athletic 1-0 Mousehole – a deserved lead for the home side who have so far successfully repelled Mousehole’s attacking instincts and have created a couple of opportunities of their own. It’s a cliché but still true: the next goal is so important!
The second half:
Mousehole’s wingers have switched – Callum Mconie is now on the left with Hayden Turner on the right.
51 minutes: GOAL FOR MOUSEHOLE. A fine equaliser by MARK GOLDSWORTHY as he collects a quick pass inside by Callam Mconie some 30 yards out, holds off his marker and from 15 yards to the left of centre fires a low inch-perfect shot just inside the far post. Now 1-1. That was the ‘so important’ goal mentioned at half-time!
53 minutes: The Seagulls are now in control of the ball, the tempo and the pattern of play. Buckland are relying on long-ball breakaways – Ollie Chenoweth has to be alert to come out and save at the feet of Josh Webber.
56 minutes: Mousehole’s quick passing is causing The Bucks all sorts of problems, including giving away a series of free kicks. From one of these, Jack Calver swerves a left-footer inches wide from 20 yards.
57 minutes: GOAL FOR MOUSEHOLE. Tallan Mitchell and Hayden Turner combine on the right for a driven cross into the danger area, where central defender NICK MILTON attempts to intercept but glances his header into the top corner of the net for an own goal that would have been superb if it had been an attacker. Buckland 1-2 Mousehole.
60 minutes: It’s all Mousehole – Mark Goldsworthy has a clear sight of goal but passes instead to Tallan Mitchell, who’s crowded out
61 minutes: GOAL FOR MOUSEHOLE. Mark Goldsworthy has pulled the opposition over to their left and plants a brilliantly-weighted pass inside where TALLAN MITCHELL races unchallenged into the space and from 15 yards shoots high into the net past Collings’ left hand. In the process, Goldsworthy has been felled by an ugly late challenge which earns Rob Farkins a yellow card. The Seagulls are ahead by 3-1: three goals in 10 minutes.
64 minutes: In another fast break Tallan Mitchell crosses low and Jack Calver’s first-time shot from close in is somehow kept out by keeper Collings – an amazing save.
66 minutes: Jack Calver has another shooting chance as Buckland fail to clear their lines – this time his 25 yard drive is deflected wide by Farkins with a diving header in front of the post
74 minutes: Mousehole substitute – Mark Goldsworthy is replaced by Jared Sims in the central striker’s position, and the captain’s armband goes to Mark Richards
80 minutes: GOAL FOR MOUSEHOLE. HAYDEN TURNER is tripped as he twists and turns with quick feet just inside the hosts’ penalty area, and then dispatches the resultant spot kick to make it 4-1 to The Seagulls. Buckland have been plugging away with little success, and any hopes they may have had of a comeback have now surely disappeared.
82 minutes: Mousehole substitute – Steve Burt is replaced by Charlie Willis in midfield
86 minutes: GOAL FOR MOUSEHOLE. A slick passing move on the left destroys the defending cover and leaves JARED SIMS to slot the ball low past Collings – it’s now five away goals in just over half an hour and this finish is similar to the first. Buckland Athletic 1-5 Mousehole.
87 minutes: Mousehole substitute – Hayden Turner is replaced by Billy Curtis with Josh Otto going to left-back and Paulo Sousa moving forward
88 minutes: Ollie Chenoweth makes a vital full-length save to cut out a dangerous-looking low cross from the left in a rare threat by the home side
90+4 minutes: At full time it’s Buckland Athletic 1-5 Mousehole. The Seagulls complete a league double over an established Western League side. Sayings like “a game of two halves” and “it’s a funny old game” come to mind, as neither this scoreline, nor even this result, looked likely at half-time. Whatever was discussed during the interval led to the ‘real Mousehole’ completely dominating the second half, with Buckland unable to cope with the intensity, passing and speed.
What this result means for Mousehole
A remarkable afternoon is capped by the news of Exmouth Town managing only a draw against Street, which means that Exmouth, Tavistock and Mousehole are now all on 60 points, separated only by small goal differences. Among several important matters with a bearing on the end-of-season placings, Tavistock and Mousehole have a game in hand over Exmouth; Mousehole face Exmouth at home this Saturday; and Exmouth play Tavistock in the last-but-one fixture.
Manager Jake Ash speaking after the match https://youtu.be/XaJ4oC8pihg
Mousehole line-up(with used substitutes)
Ollie Chenoweth (GK), Josh Otto, Mark Richards, Max Hill, Paulo Sousa, Steve Burt (Charlie Willis), Tallan Mitchell, Jack Calver, Callam Mconie, Mark Goldsworthy (C) (Jared Sims), Hayden Turner (Billy Curtis). Other substitutes: Louis Price, Kyle Fraser
Next fixture for Mousehole
This Saturday, 26th March, Home v Exmouth Town, kick off 3pm*
*Spectators are advised to arrive in good time as it’s National Non-League Day – the chance for non-league clubs to showcase themselves during the international break, plus a much-reduced league programme – and Exmouth are likely to bring a large number of their supporters
Mousehole’s remaining Western League Premier Division fixtures
Wednesday 30th March: Away at Helston Athletic, 7.45pm
Saturday 2nd April: Home v Bitton, 3pm
Tuesday 5th April: Home v Keynsham Town, 7.45pm
Saturday 9th April: Away v Wellington, 3pm
Good Friday, 15th April: Home v Helston Athletic, 11am
Monday 18th April: Home v Ashton & Backwell United, 3pm
Saturday 23rd April: Away v Keynsham Town, 3pm
