Text: Daniel Tararsky
Having started the league campaign with a disappointing defeat away at Malvern The Seagulls were eager to record a home win on a balmy Tuesday evening. Coming just three days after the trip up country this was a speedy chance to make amends against newly promoted opponents.
Mousehole started with an energy and intensity that implied they’d been asked by boss Ash to turn up the heat maps. From back to front the Seagulls upped their game from the previous run out. Fifty fifties were won all over the pitch, one to one duels almost all went to the home team.
The result of all this effort meant that most of the match was played in the Brixham half. It was, at times, like a training match of defence versus attack but Mousehole couldn’t make the break through. Chances came and went but the finishing touch was never applied. In the end it took a bit of Jack Symons trickery to unlock the door.
In his usual fashion he burst into the box, ball glued to his foot with defenders diving in to dispossess him but failing. As often happens one of those legs eventually took the midget maestro’s feet from under him ad the penalty was rightly awarded. The culprit was dismissed somewhat harshly.
Hayden Turner placed the ball on the spot and dispatched it calmly, sending the keeper the wrong way.
Ten minutes later and Symons repeated the feat, tumbling under another challenge in the box. Turner again did the business, this time down the middle. Two nil at half time, having had 75% possession was probably less than deserved.
With Brixham down to ten men the second half shaped up to be tough for the visiting team. As it turned out the game was effectively over just before the hour. A nice corner routine ended with the ball at Liam Prynn’s feet on the edge of the box. He took a touch to steady himself then rifled the ball into the roof of the net beyond a fully stretched keeper.
From then on it was a case of how many could Mousehole score. The answer being: no more. Lots of chances were created but Brixham held firm.
Mousehole will face better teams this season and those missed chances will be costly but against a team struggling to create this performance was enough and a good start to home league campaign.
Next match? Brixham, FA Cup on Saturday.
