Mousehole 1-2 Tavistock
Toolstation Western League Premier Division
Saturday 30th August 2021
At Trungle Parc
Scorers: Josh Grant 2’ (0-1), 47’ (0-2), Mark Goldsworthy 65’(1-2)
Attendance 171
Compared with Saturday’s below-par performance in Saturday’s 2-0 defeat at Ilfracombe Town, this was a vastly improved showing by The Seagulls despite being narrowly edged out by one of the promotion favourites, who completed a ‘double’ by scoring very early in each half.
Pre-match points
Mousehole lost 3-0 in an earlier midweek visit to Tavistock, at the start of the Covid outbreak within the squad.
Today The Seagulls are without the injured Josh Otto and Sean Roberts, but Jamie Devine returns after missing Saturday’s match, while Paulo Sousa makes his first start of the season. Five substitutes are named, which is a positive contrast with the two available on Saturday.
Tavistock have had a very good couple of Western League seasons since promotion and are rightly considered to be one of the strongest contenders for further progress up the non-league ladder.
Today The Lambs include in their squad two players borrowed from Camelford, and name just three on the bench.
Mousehole have lost three games in a row, including an FA Cup tie, so getting back on track is important – but it will be a big challenge this afternoon.
As it happened: key moments of the match
1 minute and 36 seconds: GOAL FOR TAVISTOCK. Neat quick passing on the right creates the space for a cross to the edge of the six-yard box where JOSH GRANT is perfectly positioned to plant a firm header past Cory Harvey. Mousehole 0-1 Tavistock. A simple goal for the visitors. The worst possible start for the hosts.
4 minutes: Tavistock close again – Liam Prynn has a sight of goal but hits the side netting
8 minutes: Tavistock have the ball in the net from a low right wing cross but it’s ruled out for offside
11 minutes: Mousehole break forward and Callam Mconie’s dangerous low cross from the right byeline is hacked away
17 minutes: The Lambs return to the attack with Liam Prynn hitting the crossbar with a fierce drive from an angle
18 minutes: Mousehole impose themselves for the first time with a period of sustained possession and three corners in a row – all well defended
30 minutes gone: The visitors are quick to close down space whenever Mousehole try to weave their way through from midfield
32 minutes: Nearly a surprise goal for The Seagulls. Callam Mconie drives in a low left-footed free kick from wide on the right. It’s aimed at the near post but keeper Josh Oak sees it in time to get down to push it out at the very last moment. Great skill by both players.
34 minutes: A quarter-chance for Steve Burt as he bursts forward into Lambs’ territory, but his left-footer is wide from 20 yards
36 minutes: A good period of play for Mousehole ends with Mark Goldsworthy down with a blow to the head as he and centre-back Lewis Daw compete for a ball down the middle. Referee Darren Gay decides on physio treatment but no foul.
38 minutes: Nearly 0-2: an out-of-the-blue lob from 45 yards goes over Cory Harvey but bounces wide
39 minutes: And again: Cory Harvey makes a tremendous one-on-one block from close in to deny Liam Prynn
40 minutes: Mousehole retaliate – Steve Burt fires in a rising left-footer from an angle and Josh Oak tips it over
42 minutes: Closest yet for Mousehole – Tallan Mitchell’s 25 yard drive beats Josh Oak but hits the crossbar and goes over
44 minutes: Josh Oak keeps his side in the lead as Callam Mconie cuts inside on the right and drives in a trade-mark left-footer – but the keeper watches it all the way and tips it over
45 minutes: From the corner, Jamie Devine’s near-post glancing header hits the unsuspecting Mark Goldsworthy and spins over the bar from six yards
45+3 minutes: At half-time it’s Mousehole 0-1 Tavistock. The visitors look threatening going forward but Mousehole have dug their way back into the match with a couple of good periods of play. The second half could be very interesting.
Second half underway.
47 minutes: GOAL FOR TAVISTOCK. This time it’s even quicker than in the first half – just 1 minute, 10 seconds after the resumption. A long throw, an onward header, the ball is allowed to bounce and the unmarked JOSH GRANT scores low from 15 yards. Mousehole 0-2 Tavistock. A lot of Mousehole’s good work from the first half is immediately undone – it’s now an uphill task for them, but a good cushion for The Lambs.
50 minutes: Liam Prynn turns and shoots from inside the box as Mousehole back-pedal, but Cory Harvey does brilliantly to keep it out with a full-length diving save
53 minutes: A replica move at the other end – Josh Oak keeps out Callam Mconie’s 18-yarder and the loose ball is cleared by the resolute defence
56 minutes: Mousehole substitute – Callam Mconie is replaced by Josh Magin in the same right-sided attacking position
58 minutes: The Hayden Turner-Tallan Mitchell interplay looks promising on the approaches to the Tavistock box. It’s halted by a deliberate foul. Andy Elcock drives in the 25 yard free kick from a central position but the wall stands big and tall and it’s blocked.
65 minutes: GOAL FOR MOUSEHOLE. MARK GOLDSWORTHY breaks through a tackle on the 18 yard line, advances a few paces and hammers the ball right-footed into the top left-hand corner. Not even Josh Oak could stop that. The striker’s first goal of an injury-hit season. He’ll be so relieved. His team-mates will now believe they can get something out of the match. Will Tavistock regret not converting their earlier superiority into more goals? Mousehole 1-2 Tavistock.
66 minutes: Mousehole substitute – Steve Burt is replaced by Kyle Fraser at left wing-back with Paulo Sousa moving further forward
73 minutes: Nearly! A Tallan Mitchell angled free-kick is scraped off the line at the far post
15 minutes to go: Mousehole have most of the possession but Tavistock are compact, forcing the hosts to play sideways and out wide
83 minutes: There’s space in the Mousehole half and a chance for The Lambs to make the game safe with a quick break, but Ed Harrison puts it over the bar
85 minutes: Josh Oak reads Andy Elcock’s swerving 25-yard lob well and clutches it under the angle of bar and post
86 minutes: Mousehole substitute – Mark Goldsworthy is replaced by Gerens James. Can he force home the equaliser to add to his 500 career goals?
90+2 minutes: Mousehole still pressing and patient, Tavistock still well organised in the final third. The last chance. Hayden Turner’s long throw is headed on by Jamie Devine and after a desperate scramble the ball comes out to Josh Magin – but it’s on his less=deadly left foot, and his half-volley from the edge of the box goes wide
90+4 minutes: Full time: Mousehole 1-2 Tavistock. Tavistock fully justifying their reputation as one of the best all-round sides in the Division. Credit to Mousehole for the way they came back into the game after a dreadful start to each half.
Mousehole (and used substitutes): Cory Harvey (GK), Billy Curtis (captain), Mark Richards, Jamie Devine, Paulo Sousa, Steve Burt (Kyle Fraser), Tallan Mitchell, Andy Elcock, Callam Mconie (Josh Magin), Mark Goldsworthy (Gerens James), Hayden Turner
Other substitutes: Silas Sullivan, Jonny Ludlam
Next match
This Saturday 4th September: Home v Millbrook, 3pm
Mousehole’s first and only League win (2-0) came at Millbrook in early August, with goals from Callam Mconie and Tallan Mitchell.
Promoted to the Western League this season, Millbrook are, like Mousehole, still finding their feet at the higher level.
The teams have almost identical playing records, each having played 5 League games, won 1, drawn 1 and lost 3, with Millbrook having a marginally better goal difference
Followed by:
Saturday 11th September, WLP, 3pm: Away v Cadbury Heath, at Springfield BS30 8BX
The club will be running a players’ coach with seats for supporters – details online and at the end of the Millbrook match report.
