MATCH REPORT – MOUSEHOLE vs PENZANCE (Boxing Day 2017)

MOUSEHOLE 2-0 PENZANCE

SOUTH WEST PENINSULA LEAGUE, DIVISION 1 WEST

TUESDAY 26TH DECEMBER 2017

AT TRUNGLE PARC

SEAGULLS FLYING HIGH IN FOURTH PLACE AFTER MAGPIES DEFEAT

Match Programme Boxing Day vs Penzance

A late goal in each half gave Mousehole the Boxing Day ‘local derby’ victory over Penzance, with players of both sides deserving great credit for putting on a competitive contest in horrible wet and windy conditions on a rain-soaked pitch.

Mousehole’s investment in improved drainage during the summer paid off with the game being only one of three in the Division to survive the weather, the others being at Bude and St Blazey.  And the three points enabled Mousehole to gain their tenth consecutive home win in all competitions and their third ‘clean sheet’ in a row, to move up the League table to fourth place.  Penzance are now in 10th place, 9 points behind Mousehole but with three games in hand.

The large crowd of 279 – the highest in the Division this season – saw both sides go close in the opening period, with Steve Parker-Billinge in the home goal producing important saves in the 25th and 28th minutes, and Paolo Sousa and Bradley Wills missing the target on 25 and 34 at the other end.

But Mousehole dominated the last few minutes of the half and took the lead on 44 minutes.  ‘Keeper Dom Angove had just made a great block from Sousa’s drive on 43, when in the next attack Jordan Adlard let fly fom 25 yards and the ball swerved and dipped into the far top corner.  There was still time for Angove to excel when he tipped over a fierce long-range Calum Elliot free-kick in added time.

It’s defence v attack in the Boxing Day ‘local derby’ at Trungle Parc, with Mousehole players (in white, from left) Liam Andrew (5), Kevin Lawrence (4), Calum Elliot, Bradley Wills and Paolo Sousa (16) trying to keep at bay the blue-shirted Penzance players Joel Allen (6), Daniel Lord, Joel McWilliams (11), Mark Vercesi and Ed Wilton (9), with Seagulls’ goalkeeper Steve Parker-Billinge (in orange) looking on.

It was again nip and tuck after the interval in worsening conditions, Mousehole’s Jake Andrew shooting wide from close in after a defensive mix-up on 64 minutes, but former Seagull Lewis Caspall coming within millimetres of an equaliser as he was on the end of Penzance’s best move of the match with a superb left-foot drive that beat Parker-Billinge but came back off the crossbar on 67.

The Magpies pressed forward in the closing stages and The Seagulls’ defence had to be at its best to deal with a series of wind-assisted in-swinging corners and to block several half-chances in the box.  The game became stretched as Mousehole created chances on the break, and it was Paolo Sousa’s third goal in two games that made the game safe as he made space for himself before calmly placing a left-footed shot inside the far post from 15 yards in the 89th minute of normal time.

Paolo Sousa (white, on right) curls in Mousehole’s second goal into the far corner of keeper Dom Angove’s net near the end of the Boxing Day ‘local derby’ against Penzance watched by team mates Kevin Lawrence (left) and Jake Andrew.

Mousehole:  Steve Parker-Billinge, Tyler Tonkin, Calum Elliot, Liam Andrew, Josh Otto, Kevin Lawrence (captain), Bradley Wills, Jordan Adlard, Luke Johnson (Connor Davey, 64), Jake Andrew, Paolo Sousa.  Unused substitutes:   Caleb Marsden, Billy Curtis, Josh Nicholls, Matt McIlroy

 

Penzance:  Dom Angove, Matt Laithwaite, NathanHampton (Kyle Hampton, 70), Frazer Cadman (captain), Daniel Lord, Joel Allen, Paul Robertson, Mark Vercesi, Ed Wilton, Lewis Caspall, Joel McWilliams (Ronnie May, 45).  Unused substitutes:  Finn Robinson, Jodie Hampton

Scorers:  Jordan Adlard (44), Paolo Sousa (88)

Referee: Kevin Knowles.     Attendance: 279

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