Mousehole 3-0 Ilfracombe Town

Western League Premier Division

Saturday 5^th March 2022

At Trungle Parc

Summary

St Piran’s Day was notable for The Seagulls taking their winning sequence to ten home league games stretching back to 4^th September, Hayden Turner’s superb brace – now with 20 goals for the season –  plus a second consecutive ‘clean sheet’ and a vital three points towards their promotion challenge, followed by news of the Development Team’s away win and 24 hours later an away success for the Women’s Team, making it a trio of senior team victories in a great weekend for the club.

Pre-match points

Ilfracombe Town have, like Mousehole, been promoted twice in recent years.  They currently stand in a commendable sixth position, and inflicted a 2-0 defeat on The Seagulls at their Marlborough Park HQ in late August.

Manager Jake Ash is able to name midfielder Andy Elcock among the substitutes, his first slot on the team-sheet since injury at Bridgwater in October, five months and 17 matches ago.  Meanwhile 14-goal Callam Mconie is serving the last of his three-match suspension after a red card at Clevedon.

Among the spectators is John Pool, Chairman of the Western League, and a sizeable turn-out of Committee members from Ilfracombe.

For this ‘Seagulls versus Bluebirds’ encounter, the weather is bright and cold, and there’s a typical Trungle Parc swirling wind.

The key moments

Before kick-off a well-observed minute’s silence is held for the people of Ukraine, with Mousehole Chairman Deryk Heywood accompanied by two youth players in the centre circle holding the yellow-and-blue national flag.

Mousehole are kicking towards the Solomon Browne Stand End in the first half

9 minutes:  Tallan Mitchell wins possession in midfield and his pass splits the visitors’ defence for Hayden Turner to sprint down the left  and put in a low cross – but it’s well cleared from the edge of the six-yard box

16 minutes:  Several minutes of confusion!  Mark Goldsworthy is felled by a late tackle just inside the Mousehole half.  Referee Stephen McCulloch waves play on despite the Assistant’s flag.  As the ball goes out of play ‘Goldie’ then receives on-field treatment from physio Ben Gibson.  It’s unclear what the decision is, but it looks like a Mousehole free kick has been given.

20 minutes:  GOAL FOR MOUSEHOLE.   The physio is off, the whistle goes, the free kick is quickly taken and the ball is worked up to JACK CALVER some 18 yards out.  He drives a low right-footed shot inside the near post with keeper Steve Oliver a mere onlooker.  More confusion as the visitors complain that Mousehole’s injured player did not leave the pitch after treatment.  The Referee looks as though he might disallow the goal as he goes over to talk to his Assistant….. but the goal stands!  Mousehole 1-0 Ilfracombe in the strangest of circumstances.  The visitors players and dug-out team are certainly not happy.  Nevertheless: it’s Mousehole 1-0 Ilfracombe Town.

21 minutes:  The visitors loudly claim a penalty as Jack Langford is tackled in the home penalty area – Referee McCulloch not impressed

27 minutes;  Hayden Turner makes another dash down the left, Mark Goldsworthy gets a touch to the low cross, and the ball trickles just past the far post

33 minutes:  Hayden Turner again and Jack Calver at the far post aims for goal but Oliver saves

43 minutes:  Tallan Mitchell skates in from the left and sends in a fierce right-foot drive which the diving Oliver pushes out for a corner

45+1 minutes:  GOAL FOR MOUSEHOLE.  HAYDEN TURNER creates space for himself 25 yards out and sends a right-footed curving shot into the top corner past motionless keeper Oliver, who was probably hoping it was going wide.  Turner’s 19^th goal of the season.

45+3 minutes.  Back come Ilfracombe and Joe Barker puts in a dangerous-looking cross shot from the right that goes wide of the far post

45+5 minutes:  The visitors on the offensive again – Charlie Prentice has a sight of goal from 20 yards but shoots wide

45+6 minutes:  Half time and 2-0 to Mousehole.  Quite an eventful opening period with plenty of talking points.  Mousehole generally on top and playing on the front foot.

The second half

54 minutes:  GOAL FOR MOUSEHOLE.  Tallan Mitchell takes a free kick on the right hand side of the visitors’ penalty area, it’s played in low, Mark Richards steps over it and HAYDEN TURNER side-foots instantly into the net from 15 yards for goal number 20.  Judging by the players’ reaction, that looked like a well-rehearsed routine.  Now 3-0 to The Seagulls.

59 minutes:  Mousehole keeper Ollie Chenoweth is called into action, palming out a threatening long right-wing cross from Joe Barker at the far post

62 minutes:  Louis Price bustles through on the right and Steve Oliver blocks the fierce drive from eight yards

68 minutes:  Mousehole substitute – Mark Richards is replaced by Josh Otto in the centre of defence

71 minutes:  Mousehole substitute – Jack Calver is replaced by Jared Sims in midfield

75 minutes:  Ilfracombe come close – Jed Harper-Penman’s drive from the left is touched over by Ollie Chenoweth

76 minutes:  Hayden Turner is after a hat-trick goal – his angled shot is cleared off the line with the keeper beaten

77 minutes:  End-to-end action as Tom Davey heads a left-sided corner towards goal and it’s deflected over for another flag kick

78 minutes:  Hayden Turner is sin-binned for questioning the Referee’s decision over a free kick to the visitors.  Mousehole now down to ten men for ten minutes, and the hosts’ top scorer has lost ten minutes in his quest for a hat-trick

79 minutes:  From the free kick, Ollie Chenoweth is well positioned to keep out a snapshot by Mike Humphreys from 18 yards

80 minutes:  Mousehole substitute – Mark Goldsworthy is replaced by 16-year old Jack Symons, who’ll play out wide, with Louis Price moving to the middle

82 minutes:  The young substitute creates a chance for Talan Mitchell whose 18-yard shot is pushed wide by Oliver

88 minutes:  Louis Price bends in a free kick from 25 yards, keeper Oliver gets across to keep it out, Max Hill is first to the loose ball but the keeper blocks the chipped shot

90+4:  That’s the full-time whistle.  3-0 to Mousehole and a massive three points in the race for the top two spots 

What this result means for Mousehole 

Mousehole remain in third place, two points behind Exmouth with two games in hand.  So this Wednesday’s game between second and third looks interesting, as does the return match at Trungle Parc on Saturday 26^th March 

Equally important, leaders Tavistock have lost away to second-bottom Ashton & Backwell (putting into perspective Mousehole’s unexpected defeat there in January), which means The Seagulls are six points off top spot with three games in hand 

With 11 games to go, six at home and five away, it’s going to be a thrilling last two months of the season!

Mousehole line-up (with used substitutes): Ollie Chenoweth (GK), Billy Curtis (C), Mark Richards (Josh Otto), Max Hill, Paulo Sousa, Steve Burt, Talan Mitchell, Jack Calver (Jared Sims), Louis Price, Mark Goldsworthy (Jack Symons), Hayden Turner.

Other substitutes:  Kyle Fraser, Andy Elcock

Match Officials: 

Stephen McCulloch (Referee), with Alan Hoon & Darren Winkworth (Assistants)

Attendance: 152

Next fixtures for Mousehole:

This Wednesday, 9^th March, Away at Exmouth Town, 7.45pm

Saturday 12^th March, Home v Bridport, 3pm

Saturday 19^th March, Away v Buckland Athletic, 3pm

Saturday 26^th March, Home v Exmouth Town, 3pm

Wednesday 30^th March, Away v Helston athletic, 7.45pm