Mousehole 2-0 Brislington
Western League Premier Division
Saturday 15th January 2022
At Trungle Parc
Scorers: Jack Calver 42’, Callam Mconie 86’
Summary
After a four-week enforced break, Mousehole started their Centenary year with a patient win over a hard-working Brislington side, a late goal in each half securing the points to move the team up to third place in the table and extend an impressive run of form to 12 wins in the last 14 League matches.
Pre-match points
- Fifth-place Mousehole start the second half of their inaugural Western League Premier season looking to take advantage of one of their games-in-hand over their closest rivals. Only two points currently separate second-place Bridgwater United from seventh-place Ilfracombe Town. So, with today’s fixtures including fourth-place Exmouth Town hosting third-place Bitton, Bridgwater in FA Vase action and Helston Athletic playing at Saltash United in the Cornwall Senior Cup, it’s an opportunity for The Seagulls to move up the table having won 11 of their last 13 League games.
- A Covid outbreak at Mousehole led to the League postponing their Boxing Day clash at Helston and the New Year’s Day home encounter with Exmouth, which was followed by another blank last Saturday because of Clevedon Town’s waterlogged ground. As a result, this is The Seagull’s first competitive match since 18th December, a 6-2 away win at Street.
- Brislington, today’s visitors from south-east Bristol, have been a Western League Premier side for nearly 25 years. They are currently in 14th place with 24 points from 21 games, and are unbeaten in their last three games. As an indication that they will provide tough opposition today, they have a much better away record than home form, and have recently drawn at both higher-placed Ilfracombe and at Buckland Athletic.
- Today’s is another in the series of ‘first-ever’ matches between Mousehole and clubs in the Western League, which illustrates the benefits and challenges of life for The Seagulls after promotion. The return match at Brislington is on Saturday 26th February.
- Mousehole’s team news is that all the Covid-affected players are now in good health and there have been no further positive cases. There are also no injuries to the usual first team squad, so Manager Jake Ash is faced with the nice problem of deciding on the starting XI and the substitutes. Jack Calver, signed from Bideford in early December, makes his full home debut, while on-loan Andy Watkins has returned to Tiverton.
- Before kick off it’s started to rain, the floodlights on from the start in the gathering gloom, the pitch surface is on the soft side, and the Youth-section mascots are doing their job impeccably.
The key moments of the match
4 minutes: Mark Goldsworthy fires in a rising shot towards the far corner and keeper George Dorrington flings himself across to palm the ball out for a corner
19 minutes: A forceful Brislington raid on the left ends with a floated cross drifting beyond the far post
21 minutes: Mousehole are having more of the ball but Brislington are making progress on the left again: this time Josh Otto shows great anticipation to head away a threatening cross into the six-yard box
Half-way through the first half: Mousehole are showing signs of their month-long lay-off. There’s not yet any consistent pattern to their play. Brislington are looking well-organised and quick to seize on misplaced passes.
26 minutes: Another incisive left-sided break by the visitors lays on a difficult chance on the far side of the six-yard box but the half chance is miscued.
29 minutes: Tallan Mitchell retrieves the ball for Mousehole some 30 yards out and his shot from the edge of the area requires a competent save by keeper Dorrington.
38 minutes: Dorrington shows superb ‘sweeper’ qualities by racing out to snuff out a Callam Mconie chance as he moves on to a defence-splitting Jack Calver scooped through ball
41 minutes: Mousehole are now beginning to pressurise the Brislington defence. Callam Mconie delivers a trademark left-footed drive from an angle but Dorrington is equal to it low at his near post.
42 minutes: GOAL FOR MOUSEHOLE. JACK CALVER collects the ball 20 yards out, shimmies on to his favoured left foot and drives a low shot into the far corner just out of reach of the keeper. (Those of a certain age will remember the term ‘daisy cutter’!) Mousehole 1-0 Brislington. A good time to score a goal, and a reward for persistence when not playing at your best.
Half-time: It’s 1-0 to the hosts. During the interval a special presentation is made to Matt James, who has spent five successful years developing the Youth section at Mousehole, and is now concentrating on a full-time career as a teacher. The Youth players form a ‘guard of honour’ on the pitch and Chairman Deryk Heywood, recognising Matt James’ achievements in laying down a foundation for the future of the club, presents him with a framed and signed Chelsea shirt.
The second half
48 minutes: Hayden Turner speeds down the left and crosses low for the onrushing Tallan Mitchell, but the visitors’ defence does well to stifle the danger
52 minutes: Hayden Turner again creates a chance with a run and cross in front of goal, where Callam Mconie is involved in a collision, but Referee Long waves away appeals for a penalty
56 minutes: Hayden Turner again – this time he moves inside and drives a fierce swerving 15 yard shot, but keeper Dorrington makes a wonderfully agile save to tip the ball over. The keeper has been magnificent so far – Brislington’s ‘player pen pictures’ say he has played for Manchester United’s and Huddersfield’s Under-23s: the pedigree is now obvious!
57 minutes: Callam Mconie’s inswinging low corner kick hits the near post and comes out!
Halfway through the second period, Mousehole are getting back into stride and looking to get a second goal, but Brislington are defiant – it’s still only 1-0 and they are very much still in this!
70 minutes: Hayden Turner gets to a through ball first, dances around the keeper and rolls the ball across the goal line…..and out.
71 minutes: Mousehole substitute – Mark Goldsworthy is replaced by Louis Price, occupying the same central striker role
76 minutes: For the last few minutes Brislington have been venturing forward a lot more. A 30-yard shot from a central position is blocked by Steve Burt.
85 minutes: The visitors come again, this time thwarted by a defensive tackle just inside the box which they claim merited a penalty – Referee Long disagrees
86 minutes: GOAL FOR MOUSEHOLE. Kyle Fraser makes a penetrating run on the left and crosses low into the middle, where CALLAM MCONIE collects 10 yards out and shoots hard, low and left-footed, the ball glancing off the covering defenders and inside the near post past the keeper’s dive. Mousehole 2-0 Brislington. A mixture of celebration and relief. The wingman’s 14th goal of the season, and another of his late ones.
87 minutes: Mousehole substitute – scorer Callam Mconie is replaced by Paulo Sousa operating as a right-winger
88 minutes: Louis Price shoots from 20 yards and Dorrington is well placed to smother it
90 minutes: A great piece of football as Tallan Mitchell launches a spectacular right-footed volley from just outside the box and Dorrington leaps across to fingertip it away superbly from the top corner
90+1 minutes: Mousehole substitute – Tallan Mitchell is replaced in midfield by Charlie Willis
90+4 minutes: The full time whistle. Mousehole 2-0 Brislington. The visitors proving to be tough opponents with many qualities. Mousehole playing some great football in patches after the long lay-off, but overall their persistence rewarded with a deserved win.
What the result means
Mousehole’s 12th win in 14 League games, and 7th win in a row, moves them up to third in the table, on the same points as today’s winners Exmouth Town, who have a better goal difference but have played two games more. The Seagulls are two points ahead of Bridgwater and Bitton, and four ahead of Helston and Ilfracombe, with games in hand.
There are 17 League fixtures remaining, 9 at home and 8 away. Nearly half of these are against teams in the top eight of the Division. They include home and away matches against Helston, Buckland (currently 8th) and Exmouth – the away trip to Exmouth being the very last League match of the season – and home games against Bridgwater and Bitton.
Mousehole v Brislington (with used substitutes):
Ollie Chenoweth (GK), Billy Curtis (captain), Josh Otto, Mark Richards, Kyle Fraser, Tallan Mitchell (Charlie Willis), Steve Burt, Jack Calver, Callam Mconie (Paulo Sousa), Mark Goldsworthy (Louis Price), Hayden Turner. Other substitutes: Max Hill, Jamie Devine.
Match officials:
James Long (Referee) with Ken Swift & Adam Price (Assistants)
Attendance: 154
Next fixtures for Mousehole:
This Saturday 22nd January, Away at Ashton & Backwell United (BS48 3HQ), 3pm.
Saturday 29th January, Home v Buckland Athletic, 3pm.
Saturday 5th February, Home v Bridgwater United, 3pm
