MOUSEHOLE 5-0 NEWQUAY

CORNWALL SENIOR CUP, QUARTER FINAL TIE

SATURDAY 3^RD FEBRUARY 2018

AT TRUNGLE PARC

 Mousehole progressed to the last four of the Cornwall Senior Cup (sponsored by RGB Building Supplies) with an emphatic win against their higher-division visitors in one of very few matches in the region to survive the weather.  Already the only Division 1 side to reach the quarter-final stage, this victory earned The Seagulls a first-ever appearance in the semi-finals of the County’s top cup competition, where they will face one of the other remaining Premier Division teams at a neutral venue on the evening of either Tuesday 6^th or Wednesday 7^th March.

Mousehole had been defeated only once since September and had won all 12 of their home games this season – including cup victories against two other Premier Division sides, Camelford and Launceston – so Saturday’s result against a side 14 places above in the South West Peninsula League ‘pyramid’ was less of a surprise then the scoreline.  The chief talking point was the difference in performance levels between the two teams as the game wore on, with the home side showing greater energy, desire and fitness levels to complement their customary passing style.

With the strong wind at their backs, Newquay were the dominant force in the opening stages, seeing lots of the ball and pegging the hosts back in their own half.  But in their first attack Mousehole took an unexpected lead in the 14^th minute when Luke Johnson came in from the right-hand side to plant an unstoppable left-footed drive from 20 yards into the far top corner.  Jake Andrew came within millimetres of doubling the lead on 26 minutes with a shot that came back off the underside of the crossbar, but The Peppermints continued to look threatening, although often wasting possession with over-hit passes.  A crucial moment came with almost the last kick of the first half, Tyler Cheshire missing a glaring opportunity to equalise – and change the nature of the half-time team talk – when he scooped hurriedly wide in front of a gaping goal.

Mousehole began to take the upper hand with measured passing after the break, but it was a piece of quick thinking by Kevin Lawrence that brought the second goal on 49 minutes, stealing the loose ball as goalkeeper Zak Roberts delayed his clearance and tapping into an unguarded net.  Tyler Tonkin came up from right back to make it 3-0 six minutes later, this time with a shot hit so hard into the net from 10 yards that the ball rebounded back on to the pitch off the perimeter fence.  As The Seagulls continued to surge forward, Newquay’s under-pressure rearguard was again unable to cope when the alert Paulo Sousa capitalised on hesitancy to waltz round Roberts and stroke home for 4-0, to make it three goals in ten minutes with less than an hour gone.

New signings Kayne Trevaskis and Steven Ziboth came on as substitutes after 61 minutes to cause even more unrest for the visitors, the experienced Trevaskis holding the ball up well at the apex of the attack and 19-year old Ziboth creating havoc with his electrifying sprints down the left.  And it was the young newcomer who was in the right place to convert a low right-wing cross by recent substitute Caleb Marsden on 70 minutes, to make it 5-0 from five different scorers.   In the meantime, The Peppermints were making little headway, but the previously under-employed Steve Parker-Billinge in the Mousehole goal had to be at his defiant best to keep a clean sheet with an smart save from close range near the end.

It’s a cup quarter-final tie again at Trungle Parc this Saturday (10^th), this time in the Cornwall Charity Cup, with another local derby against Penzance, kick off 2pm.  The Seagulls will be looking for a repeat of their 2-0 League success a few weeks ago on Boxing Day, while The Magpies will be hoping to be the side to end their local rivals’ 100% home record.

Mousehole v Newquay:  Steve Parker-Billinge, Tyler Tonkin, Calum Elliot, Liam Andrew, Billy Curtis (captain), Bradley Wills, Kevin Lawrence, Jordan Adlard, Luke Johnson, Jake Andrew, Paulo Sousa.

Substitutes: Kayne Trevaskis (for Jake Andrew, 61), Steven Ziboth (for Luke Johnson, 61), Caleb Marsden (for Bradley Wills, 67), Connor Davey, Josh Otto

Scorers:  Luke Johnson (14), Kevin Lawrence (49), Tyler Tonkin (55), Paulo Sousa (59), Steven Ziboth (70)

Referee: Derek Hughes.  Assistant Referees: Luke Wilkes & Paul Barker

Attendance: 112