SEAGULLS EASE PAST LUDGVAN TO SET UP EXCITING RUN-IN

 MOUSEHOLE 2-0 LUDGVAN

SOUTH WEST PENINSULA LEAGUE, DIVISION 1 WEST

WEDNESDAY 18TH APRIL 2018

AT TRUNGLE PARC

Mousehole gained swift revenge for their 1-0 defeat at Ludgvan on Saturday with a more-comfortable-than-expected 2-0 win over The Hurlers in the return fixture, and in so doing moved up to fourth place among a pack of eight teams all vying for the League title.

Both teams fielded changed sides from Saturday’s encounter and both had been in League action only 48 hours previously.  But whereas Ludgvan had suffered a 2-1 defeat at St Dennis on Monday evening, Mousehole were buoyed by a superb 5-2 victory at fellow challengers St Blazey on the same night.  And The Seagulls’ game plan worked to perfection in the circumstances, an attack-minded first half delivering two goals, and a second period of patient possession football causing the visitors to chase the game in vain.

In front of another 100+ crowd on a bright sunny evening, Ludgvan were forced on to the back foot from the first whistle, goalkeeper Mikey Davies making an alert diving save on 8 minutes and a couple of dangerous crosses from the right fizzing across goal. Ryan Holland fired over from 15 yards on the end of a penetrating move on 21 minutes, but Luke Johnson deservedly put Mousehole ahead a minute later with a fierce lofted drive into the roof of the net from the right hand side of the 18-yard line.

Captain Billy Curtis came up from the back to double Mousehole’s lead with a rare goal on 34 minutes, heading home Ryan Holland’s inswinging right-sided corner at the near post – his second goal of the season, the first being also against Ludgvan in the 3-2 League Cup tie win at Fairfield on 16th September.

Flores made another good save from Luke Johnson’s shot in the 37th minute and Jake Andrew was just over with a close-range chance from Paulo Sousa’s left-wing cross, but after showing very little attacking threat Ludgvan sprung into life in the last few minutes of the half.  Wade Brown’s goalbound header from Dan Magee’s cross was kept out at full stretch by Steve Parker-Billinge in the home goal, Max Davies headed wide from the resulting corner, and Ross Duncan got on the end of another Magee free-kick but headed the ball the wrong way with Steve Parker-Billinge in no man’s land.

The expected Ludgvan blitz on the Mousehole goal failed to materialise in the second period, their only sight of goal coming when Wade Brown hooked over a difficult half chance from a corner.  The hosts were content to conserve energy by stroking the ball around the whole of the pitch, but still managed to create a good chance near the end when Paulo Sousa worked his way through but Flores’ block prevented a third goal.

Mousehole have five League fixtures remaining, of which four are at home.  They face bottom side Bude Town on Saturday (21st) at Trungle Parc with a 3pm kick off,  before a potentially decisive fixture at home a week later against rivals Millbrook, who so far this season have dropped the fewest League points and are the title favourites – on paper, at least.

During that same period Ludgvan have five fixtures to complete as they play ‘catch-up’ after earlier postponements, with home games on Saturday (Plymouth Marjon), Sunday (Dobwalls) and Tuesday (Penzance), followed by away games on Thursday (Elburton Villa) and Saturday (Liskeard Athletic).

Mousehole:  Steve Parker-Billinge, Billy Curtis (captain), Calum Elliot, Liam Andrew, Josh Otto, Kevin Lawrence, Ryan Holland, William Vouama, Paulo Sousa, Luke Johnson, Jake Andrew.  Substitutes:  Steven Ziboth (for Ryan Holland, 61), Jamie Thomson (for Calum Elliot, 71), Tyler Tonkin, Paul Williams

Scorers:  Luke Johnson (22), Billy Curtis (34).

Referee:  Derek Hughes.     Attendance: 116

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