SEAGULLS DISPATCH TEIGNMOUTH TO REACH LEAGUE CUP SEMI

MOUSEHOLE 2-1 TEIGNMOUTH after extra time, score 1-1 at 90 minutes

SOUTH WEST PENINSULA LEAGUE CUP – sponsored by Walter C Parson Funeral Directors

QUARTER FINAL TIE

SATURDAY 10TH MARCH 2018, AT TRUNGLE PARC

Mousehole’s closely-fought League Cup quarter-final win over Teignmouth earned them a semi-final clash with Premier Division side Tavistock at Newquay next Tuesday, 20th March, kick off 7:30pm.  Tavistock will be The Seagulls’ fifth higher-league opposition in this season’s  Cup competitions, having beaten Camelford, Launceston, Newquay and St Austell – and on Easter Monday they will face a sixth, Saltash United, in the Cornwall Senior Cup Final at St Blazey.

Saturday’s match against Teignmouth, originally scheduled for the previous week but postponed because of the South Devon side’s travelling difficulties after severe weather, was able to go ahead on a sunny afternoon with the Trungle Parc playing surface in good condition.

East Division Teignmouth, facing a 260-mile round trip on the day, had reached the quarter-final stage after beating three West Division sides including Penzance, and with a strong and well-organised performance, and no shortage of goal chances, they made The Seagulls work hard for their narrow victory, their second 120-minute marathon in less than 72 hours.

After Wednesday’s magnificent but physically strenuous extra-time win over Premier Division St Austell in the Cornwall Senior Cup semi-final, Mousehole started slowly, with the visitors’ energy and speed giving them the better of the first half.  But as the game wore on, it was Mousehole’s now-renowned fitness that came to the fore, enabling them to dictate play for the last half-hour of normal time and then dominate the 30 minutes of extra time.

Teignmouth came close in the 11th minute when centre-back Scott Baxter just failed to reach an inviting free kick across the six yard line, but four minutes later they were ahead as left winger Jay James outpaced the defence to prod the ball home after a sprint from the half-way line.  But the lead lasted only three minutes, Luke Johnson scoring his 12th goal of the season with a shot from the right side of the 18-yard line just inside the far post.  Teignmouth had two presentable chances to regain the lead before the interval, as Hayden Roe and Sam Chapman caused frequent trouble for the Mousehole back line, Roe volleying over on 28 from close range and Chapman hitting the top of the bar with a cross-cum-shot from the right on 41.

The Teigns again came close on 57 minutes with Chapman in the clear but Tyler Tonkin got back superbly to block the chance.  And from the resulting corner Scott Baxter rose well but put his free header over the bar from six yards.  At the other end, Liam Andrew headed over with a good chance from Will Vouama’s accurate cross just after the hour, and a couple of minutes from the end of normal time Wednesday’s match winner Steven Ziboth was inches away from connecting with substitute Chris Prout’s low cross at the far post.

Teignmouth were the first to threaten in extra time with a fast break that was crowded out, but on 99 minutes Ziboth’s 12-yard drive hit the unaware Luke Ashford in goal, and from that moment on the visitors retreated to deep positions, relying on breakaways and set pieces.  And one such chance came shortly after the extra time turn-round, Jack Baxter advancing after winning the ball in midfield but shooting over the bar.  Three minutes later The Seagulls took the lead for the first time, as the bells began to ring loudly from the nearby Paul Church.  Will Vouama’s trickery on the left of the box gave him the space to chip a perfect cross into the middle where Jake Andrew, who had been well shackled by the visitors’ defence all afternoon, scored with a diving header.  Teignmouth had one last chance to take the game to a penalty shoot-out as Roe wriggled free on the left and from a tight angle rolled the ball inches wide of the far post.

Mousehole:  Steve Parker-Billinge, Tyler Tonkin, Calum Elliot, Billy Curtis (captain), Liam Andrew, Kevin Lawrence, Jordan Adlard, William Vouama, Luke Johnson, Jake Andrew, Steven Ziboth.

Substitutes:  Chris Prout (for Jordan Adlard, 63), Connor Davey (for Luke Johnson, 66), Paulo Sousa

Scorers:  Teignmouth – Jay James (15).   Mousehole – Luke Johnson (18), Jake Andrew (109)

Referee:  Derek Hughes.   Attendance:  112

*Mousehole will be in search of vital League points to reinforce their promotion bid when Holsworthy visit Trungle Parc this Saturday (17th) for a Peninsula League West Division fixture (kick off 3pm).

*The club will be running supporters’ coaches to the Cornwall Senior Cup Final (Mousehole’s first-ever appearance in the Final) on Easter Monday – for details and bookings see notice in clubhouse and on social media.

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