MOUSEHOLE 2-1 LISKEARD ATHLETIC

SOUTH WEST PENINSULA LEAGUE, WEST DIVISION

SATURDAY 9^TH DECEMBER 2017, AT TRUNGLE PARC

SEAGULLS SWOOP TO DEFEAT LEAGUE LEADERS LISKEARD

 Match Programme Mousehole vs Liskeard

Mousehole’s best performance of the season earned them a richly deserved victory over top-of-the-table Liskeard Athletic, to make it seven home wins out of seven for the season and only one defeat in the last ten matches in all competitions.

The Seagulls were without Bradley Wills, Liam Andrew and captain Billy Curtis, but former Scottish Premier League midfielder Kevin Moon made his debut and Paolo Sousa returned to the squad.

Mousehole made a bright start and dominated the opening exchanges, but suffered a setback when young centre-back Max Hill was forced off with an injury after only 15 minutes. Elliot dropped back into defence to partner Jordan Adlard, with Sousa coming off the bench into midfield.

Liskeard showed why they are top of the league by surviving pressure for the first half hour and then going ahead with their first serious attack.  Jake Rogers prodded the ball over the line from close in after an angled free kick from 25 yards had scuffed its way into the six-yard box.  And they nearly doubled the lead on 34 when the League’s top scorer James Lorenz shot towards an open goal after rounding ‘keeper Steve Parker-Billinge, but the alert Elliot cleared the ball off the line.

Mousehole returned to the attack but were foiled by ‘keeper Josh Gilbert who made a series of outstanding saves in the ten minutes before half-time to deny Moon, Kevin Lawrence, Sousa and Luke Johnson, while Jake Andrew headed narrowly wide and Tyler Tonkin’s drive hit the post.

After another promising opening 15 minutes, the long-awaited equaliser came in the 61^st minute, Connor Davey showing great anticipation to get ahead of his marker in front of goal to turn in Johnson’s low cross after a superb driving run to the byeline past three defenders on the right hand edge of the penalty area.

With Mousehole well on top, Johnson had a goalbound shot beaten out by Gilbert on 67 before the inevitable second goal arrived in the 69^th minute.  Davey was again involved, his shot being half cleared before Andrew hooked the ball in left-footed into the far corner.

Liskeard came back strongly in the last ten minutes, Parker-Billinge producing a vital diving save on 82, and the resolute defence withstanding two threatening free-kicks and deflecting an on-target header from a dangerous corner.

The three points lift Mousehole up to seventh place in the league table, with the next two home games against teams in the top six.  St Dennis, currently in sixth place, are the visitors to Trungle Parc this Saturday (16^th), followed by fourth-place Porthleven on Saturday 23^rd, with both kick-offs at 2:15pm.

Mousehole: S Parker-Billinge, T Tonkin, M Hill (P Sousa, 15), J Adlard, C Marsden, K Lawrence (c), C Elliot, K Moon, C Davey (J Kissee, 83), L Johnson, J Andrew (J Nicholls, 75).   Substitutes:  B Wood, M McIlroy

Scorers:  Mousehole – C Davey (61), J Andrew (69).  Liskeard – J Rogers (30)

Referee:  Luke Wilkes.   Attendance:  66.

 

 

In other Mousehole AFC news:

• Victories for the Reserves and Thirds made it a treble-winning weekend, with the Reserves winning 5-2 at Mawnan to go two points clear at the top of the Trelawny League Division 1, while the Thirds had a Cup win at Probus after extra time and penalties.
• Mousehole Women’s match at Charlestown was postponed, as were all fixtures in the Cornwall Women’s League, so they remain second on goal difference, but with a game in hand, behind last season’s champions St Agnes.  And this Sunday (17^th) St Agnes host Mousehole, kick off 2.30pm
• Mousehole could win themselves a home tie against East Division side Teignmouth, who knocked out Penzance 4-3 on Saturday, in the quarter-finals of the SWP League Cup – if they beat Premier Division Launceston in the 3^rd Round on 30^th December at Trungle Parc.  Mousehole have already earned prize money from League Cup sponsors Walter C Parson Funeral Directors for being the last-surviving West Division side in this year’s competition.