MOUSEHOLE 8-0 BERE ALSTON UNITED
SOUTH WEST PENINSULA LEAGUE, DIVISION 1 WEST
SATURDAY 12th JANUARY 2019
AT TRUNGLE PARC
Mousehole made a perfect start to the second half of the season by completing a league double over Bere Alston United with a comfortable victory in their first match of the new year.
The under-pressure visitors put up a dogged defensive display to keep the scoreline blank until the midway point of the first half and to restrict the hosts to just a two-goal advantage at the interval. But they were powerless to withstand a second half bombardment as Mousehole turned up the temperature with six goals, including a spell of three goals in three minutes near the end.
The Seagulls’ back line, including recently re-signed centre back Ben Williams, had a relatively untroubled afternoon, but contributed to the overall victory by breaking up United’s sporadic sorties and maintaining the home side’s overwhelming possession and forward momentum.
Mousehole went ahead in the 24th minute with yet another goal from top scorer Gerens James as he nodded in player/manager Kevin Nicholson’s superb cross from the left.
After several near misses it was 2-0 with a 15-yard low drive inside the near post by Steven Ziboth after Ben Williams had made a great burst with the ball from the halfway line.
The one-way traffic continued into the second half but Mousehole’s third goal was the result of a misjudgement by 17-year old goalkeeper Michael Moore who dropped a high centre by Billy Curtis, leaving the lurking Gerens James an easy task to head into an empty net.
The young keeper more than made amends for his side with a number of alert and courageous saves, but was beaten again on 62 as Lez Cela converted a simple close range chance after Hamza Kaid raced clean through from halfway.
And it was 5-0 ten minutes later when smart passing in the final third gave Hamza Kaid the space to lash a low drive into the far corner from 12 yards.
But Mousehole, with all three substitutes on the field, were far from finished, and they ruthlessly exposed the tiring visitors with three goals in as many minutes from the 86th minute. Hamza Kaid made the opening with a characteristic 50-yard dash to the right hand byeline and Lez Cela arrived at the near post to scoop in the low cross. Gerens James then reached a deserved hat-trick with a close-range conversion after another of Hamza Kaid’s penetrating runs to the byeline, this time on the left. And Steven Ziboth completed the scoring with an accurate left-footed drive low into the far corner from the edge of the box.
The sixth-place Seagulls, who have several games in hand over most teams above, travel to Bude Town next Saturday, 19th January (kick off 2.15pm).
This is followed by another four away Saturdays at St Blazey (26th), St Dennis (2nd February), Elburton Villa (9th – in the League Cup quarter final), and Plymouth Marjon (16th).
The next home game at Trungle Parc is against Liskeard Athletic on 23rd February, which marks the start of a remarkable run of league games, with eight of the last nine fixtures at home.
Mousehole starting X1: Jason Robertson, Billy Curtis (captain), Mark Richards, Ben Williams, Kevin Nicholson, Steve Burt, Lez Cela, Paulo Sousa, Hamza Kaid, Gerens James, Steven Ziboth
Substitutes: Tom Hands (for Kevin Nicholson, 64), Jamie Devine (for Mark Richards, 66), Callum George (for Steve Burt, 73), Craig Wilcox, Sam Shulberg
Scorers: Gerens James 24, Steven Ziboth 35, Gerens James 53, Lez Cela 62, Hamza Kaid 72, Lez Cela 86, Gerens James 87, Steven Ziboth 88.
Referee: James Long Attendance: 78
