Keynsham Town 0-3 Mousehole
Toolstation Western League Premier Division
Saturday 15th April 2023
At The AJN Stadium, Crown Fields
Scorers: Tallan Mitchell 41’, Hayden Turner 44’, Paulo Sousa 68”
SUMMARY
After going ahead of Saltash United by one point to take over the leadership of the League on Easter Monday for the first time, Mousehole executed a near-perfect away performance five days later on Keynsham’s artificial pitch, the win extending their lead at the top and giving them every chance of becoming champions with just two games left.
KEY POINTS
The first half
Mousehole have dominated the first 20 minutes, with two very early near-misses by Hayden Turner (1’) and Mark Goldsworthy (2’) and a Jack Calver 30-yard free kick hitting the woodwork (10’), but relegation-threatened Keynsham have started to come into the game with some good passing sequences but without providing much goal threat.
41”: Goal for Mousehole. A free kick is floated into the box, Hayden Turner and then Max Hill both have their shots blocked in front of goal and the ball comes out to TALLAN MITCHELL who drives a 20-yard first-time shot high into the net past keeper Joel Manning’s full-length dive.
44’: Goal for Mousehole. HAYDEN TURNER has just made a speedy 60-yard run culminating in a cross-shot that is inches beyond both Mark Goldsworthy’s lunge and the far post. This time The Seagulls’ top scorer makes a similar run into space on the left, brings the ball inside and curls a low shot just inside the far post from 20 yards.
45+4’: Half-time score is Keynsham Town 0-2 Mousehole – so far so good for the visitors, but another goal would be helpful to dispel any nervousness among the sizeable group of away supporters
69’: Goal for Mousehole. Keynsham have continued to play passing football, but the visitors have generally been in control, while also being denied a likely-looking penalty after Tallan Mitchell is bundled over in the act of shooting. A third goal makes the contest more comfortable as PAULO SOUSA chases a long ball down the right, turns inside on to his left foot and fires a spectacular rising shot inside the far post for a 3-0 scoreline.
90+3”: The full-time whistle goes and it’s Keynsham Town 0-3 Mousehole…..and it gets even better with the news that Saltash have lost to a last-minute goal at Clevedon, this now putting Mousehole four points ahead at the top.
The maths is now a lot simpler: with Mousehole and Saltash each having two games left, a Mousehole win at third-place Bridgwater United on Tuesday evening, or in the last game of the season at home against Wellington on Saturday, will secure the Western League Premier championship – as would a Saltash defeat at Ashton & Backwell on Thursday.
Mousehole are therefore on the brink of a historic promotion to the Southern League, only the second Cornwall team ever to achieve that level.
MOUSEHOLE (with used substitutes)
Ollie Chenoweth (GK), Josh Otto, Adel Gafaiti (Harry Bell 73’), Max Hill, Kyle Fraser, Tallan Mitchell (Andy Elcock 65’), Jack Calver (capt) (Steve Burt 70’), Paulo Sousa, Callam Mconie (Josh Bissett 65’), Mark Goldsworthy (Reece Thomson 68’), Hayden Turner.
MATCH OFFICIALS
John Reed (Referee) with Duncan Clarke and Dave Jones (Assistant Referees)
ATTENDANCE: 125
MOUSEHOLE’S LAST TWO GAMES OF THE SEASON
Tuesday 18th April, 7.45pm
Away v Bridgwater United *
SATURDAY 22nd APRIL, 3pmHOME v WELLINGTON – the last match of the ‘Regular Season’
Congratulations greens keep it going let’s have a celebration 🍾 on Saturday.