Mousehole 2-1 Saltash United
Western League Premier Division
Saturday 27th November 2021
At Trungle Parc
Mousehole scorers: Own Goal (9’), Mark Richards (90+5’)
SUMMARY
In a superbly entertaining and evenly contested game played in appalling conditions, Mousehole came out on top against their Cornish rivals with a last-gasp goal to maintain their impressive run of form and climb up the League table into a promising position.
PRE-MATCH POINTS
After promotion to Step 5, this is the third encounter of the season between the two sides at the extreme west and east ends of the county. As a result of the geography of the Western League, it’s now classed as a ‘Cornwall derby’ despite the 75 miles separating the two clubs.
The Ashes knocked Mousehole out of the Cornwall Senior Cup by 2-1 at Trungle Parc at the beginning of October, but four days later The Seagulls gained revenge with a 3-1 away win at Kimberley Park in a League fixture. Saltash currently stand four points above Mousehole in the League table but have played three games more.
Despite heavy rain during the last 24 hours, the pitch has survived both a 9am and 2pm inspection, but the weather forecast is not good. Wisely, the club decided yesterday to postpone today’s official opening of the Solomon Browne Stand and associated events, until the next home match on Saturday 11th December.
Mousehole are missing several regulars – Paulo Sousa, Steve Burt, Andy Elcock and Josh Magin – through illness or injury. Max Hill will be deployed in front of the back line and Kyle Fraser in a left wing-back position. Unusually, The Seagulls will be wearing their navy-blue away kit.
There’s a strong wind blowing from the car-park end with intermittent heavy rain, and more promised. Mousehole start the match playing towards the Cricket Club end.
THE MATCH AS IT HAPPENED
8 minutes: Saltash have imposed themselves in the opening stages. A dangerous cross comes in from the right and keeper Ollie Chenoweth makes an agile diving save to cut it out in front of goal.
9 minutes: GOAL FOR MOUSEHOLE. Louis Price picks up the ball just inside his own half, slaloms past three opponents in a great 30 yard run and finds Connor Leak-Blunt who sends in a wicked low left-foot drive from outside the area. The shot skids on the surface and bounces back off Ashes keeper Ryan Rickard, Mark Goldsworthy anticipates the chance superbly, the ball cannons off the keeper again, hits a defender and creeps into the empty net. Definitely an OWN GOAL but exceptional play by Louis Price, Connor Leak-Blunt and Mark Goldsworthy in the build-up. Mousehole 1-0 Saltash United.
11 minutes: Back come the visitors, with goal-creator Louis Price clearing away a long right-wing cross towards the far post
17 minutes: Saltash on the attack again, with Reece Thompson’s driven shot from 18 yards deflected past the near post
22 minutes: Louis Price whips in a corner, Ryan Rickard flaps at it and the ball is scraped out for a corner
23 minutes: Kyle Fraser finds space to plant a low 30-yard left-foot drive past the far post
24 minutes: Saltash come close when a right-sided cross from the byeline is deflected into the side netting for a corner
26 minutes: The action continues apace. Hayden Turner sends in a wind-assisted shot from fully 45 yards – Ryan Rickard is well placed to clutch it under the angle.
33 minutes: Nearly a second Seagulls goal. Mark Goldsworthy turns and shoots from 20 yards. It looks as though it’s going into the top corner before Rickard palms the ball on to the post at full stretch.
34 minutes: Mark Goldsworthy again causes concern to the visitors’ defence – he turns quickly and shoots from 12 yards but it’s too high.
40 minutes: Connor Leak-Blunt puts in another 20-yard left-foot drive but this time it zips wide
41 minutes: Alfie Wootton has a good chance to level the scores for The Ashes – his unchallenged downward header at the far post misses the target
45+ 1 minutes: At half-time it’s Mousehole 1-0 Saltash United – evenly contested, with the visitors mounting several promising attacks, but the hosts forcing Ryan Rickard to be the busier of the two keepers. The big question for the second half: which side will benefit more from the wind?
46 minutes: Saltash have reinforced their attack with the addition of Scott Crocker
48 minutes: Scott Crocker looks pacy but The Ashes over-hit several forward passes in the strong wind
49 minutes: Amid a hail shower, Hayden Turner outpaces the defence on the left to create a one-on-one chance but Ryan Rickard palms away the lofted shot from inside the area
50 minutes: Max Hill heads down a Louis Price corner and Rickard grabs it in front of Mark Goldsworthy
51 minutes: Hayden Turner again makes headway down the left and his low cross is cleared in front of goal
52 minutes: Mousehole have made a good start playing into the wind, but at the other end Saltash’s Sam Hughes gets only a faint touch to Reece Thompson’s cross when well placed
54 minutes: That near-miss seems to have caused Saltash to step up a gear. They’re enjoying a lot of possession in midfield for the first time in the match.
56 minutes: GOAL FOR SALTASH UNITED. SAM FARRANT races forward onto a long diagonal ball, lets it drop and volleys a superb left-footed strike into the far top corner. A quality equaliser. Will this give the visitors the impetus to go on and win the match?
62 minutes: Connor Leak-Blunt’s third 20-yard left-foot drive of the game nearly squirms underneath keeper Rickard
68 minutes: Mousehole are working hard to press high up the pitch. Saltash lose the ball trying to play out from the back but Louis Price hastily drives the loose ball a long way off target from just inside the box.
71 minutes: Mousehole substitute – Louis Price is replaced by Callam Mconie, in a like-for-like right-wing position
72 minutes: Ollie Chenoweth keeps Mousehole in the game, pushing out a goalbound shot from a central position inside the area
73 minutes: A definite Mousehole escape. A low left-sided cross travels across an open goal where Sam Farrant just can’t reach it to tap it into the unguarded net.
75 minutes: Great credit to both sides in appalling conditions. They’re both looking for a winner. The game is open and it’s the proverbial definition of ‘end-to-end’.
80 minutes: Saltash have three corners in a row. A shot is deflected just past the upright. The inswinging corner is scrambled out. Captain Dave Barker glances the third wide with a header.
83 minutes: Mousehole under attack again. A sense of relief in the home ranks as substitute Reece Brown gets clear on the right but stumbles over the ball on the tricky surface.
84 minutes: Hayden Turner pulls the ball back after a left-sided run, Mark Goldsworthy beats Rickard with his shot but it’s cleared off the line. Heroic defending!
85 minutes: It’s thrill-a-minute stuff as Sam Hughes’ works himself into a great position close in on the right but his cross goes over the heads of his teammates in front of goal
85 minutes: Mousehole substitute – Max Hill is replaced by Charlie Willis
85 minutes: Centre back Mark Richards is announced as ‘Mousehole Man of the Match’ for his impressive display against strong opponents
86 minutes: Dave Barker is up from the back for The Ashes and shots just over from 18 yards
89 minutes: Connor Leak-Blunt tries another shot from distance – Ryan Rickard makes the save
90 minutes: As we approach added time, it doesn’t look as though either side will settle for a draw
90+3 minutes: Mousehole substitute – Mark Goldsworthy is replaced by Jack Symons
90+4 minutes: The Seagulls have one last go and win a corner on the right.
90+5 minutes: GOAL FOR MOUSEHOLE. Callam Mconie’s left-footed flag kick dips in the wind and MARK RICHARDS gets ahead of his marker 8 yards out to side-foot the ball low into the corner past defenders and keeper. That surely confirms his ‘Man of the Match’ status! Jubilation on and off the pitch!
90+6 minutes: The full-time whistle – Mousehole 2-1 Saltash United. Massive credit to both teams in awful conditions. Heartbreak for Saltash who will think they could have won it in the second half. Immense character and belief by Jake Ash’s Seagulls.
After eight wins, one draw and one defeat in the last ten League games, Mousehole are now up to 9th in the WLP table, and have several games in hand over the teams above them.
Mousehole (with used substitutes):
Ollie Chenoweth (GK), Billy Curtis (C), Mark Richards, Josh Otto, Kyle Fraser, Max Hill (Charlie Wills), Tallan Mitchell, Connor Leak-Blunt, Louis Price (Callam Mconie), Mark Goldsworthy (Jack Symons), Hayden Turner.
Other substitutes: Jamie Devine, Silas Sullivan
Match officials: Jon Green (Referee), with Darren Winkworth & Dave Bartlam (Assistants)
Attendance: 108
NEXT FIXTURES FOR MOUSEHOLE
This Saturday, 4th December, 3pm: Away at Bridport (WLP).
Coach seats are available for supporters – see online details
Saturday 11th December, 3pm: HOME v Shepton Mallet (WLP).
Includes the official opening of the ‘Solomon Browne’ Stand to commemorate the 40th anniversary of the Penlee Lifeboat Tragedy.
