MOUSEHOLE 4-0 PENZANCE

SOUTH WEST PENINSULA LEAGUE, PREMIER WEST

BOXING DAY, THURSDAY 26^TH DECEMBER 2019

AT TRUNGLE PARC

Mousehole reached the half-way point of the league season with a comfortable 4-0 win over local rivals Penzance in front of the biggest Trungle Parc crowd of the season who braved the wet and windy conditions.  After heavy overnight rainfall, Referee Kevin Knowles declared the pitch playable an hour before the mid-day kick off, and the decision was well justified as the surface stood up remarkably well and an entertaining 90 minutes of football followed.

Out of the first 19 league matches, The Seagulls have now won 13, drawn 5 and lost just one (away at Helston Athletic) to sit in third place in the table, but with the top six all having played a different number of games, the teams occupying the two promotion positions are unlikely to become clearer until later in the season.

Manager Jake Ash was without three key midfielders – the unavailable Lez Cela together with Tallan Mitchell and Steve Burt suspended after cumulative yellow cards – but welcomed new signing Hayden Turner the 22-goal striker from St Austell, and recalled defender Tyler Tonkin into a midfield role.

Mousehole dominated possession from the start, but Penzance’s squad of youngsters with a sprinkling of older heads deserved great credit for getting to half-time only one goal in arrears.  But in the second half the continuous flow of traffic towards the visitors’ goal was too much as the hosts confirmed their overall superiority albeit with just three further goals, leaving the Magpies with the consolation that their hard work and tenacity avoided a potentially much bigger defeat.

The hosts created five chances in the opening ten minutes but were foiled by obstinate defending until Amara Bakayoko’s low cross from the right skimmed into the net via the far post in the 11^th minute.  The experienced Barrie Wyatt in the Penzance goal then rescued his side with good saves to deny Bakayoko and Rheiss McClean, before the visitors broke over the halfway line with menace for the first time in the 36^th minute, Daryl Richards denied by Mark Richard’s last-ditch tackle and the follow-up cross just eluding Morgan Kewn at the far post.

Penzance were now seeing more of the ball and triggering the occasional fast break, but Bakayoko came close to doubling the lead in the 38^th minute with a shot blocked from six yards, and Billy Curtis ventured upfield from the back to curl a left-footed chip just past the angle a minute before the interval. 

Penzance started the second half on the front foot, Anton Oliver clipped by Jamie Devine when in a promising position 30 yards out, with the swerving free lick presenting home keeper Cory Harvey with a rare piece of action.

Newcomer Hayden Turner produced a burst in from the left on 51 minutes only to be thwarted by the alert Wyatt, but he had to wait only a few minutes more for a debut goal, showing speed and composure to stroke Rheiss McClean’s defence-splitting pass into the net on 58 for a 2-0 scoreline.

Amara Bakayoko made it 3-0 with his 14^th goal of the season in the 70^th minute, a low 18-yard shot inside the post in the 70^th minute , and with Mousehole now in complete control of the play McClean’s 20-yard drive was expertly tipped over by Wyatt on 72. 

It was 4-0 in the 81^st minute when Hayden Turner scored another high-class goal, showing great vision and control to turn into the net a waist-high cross by McClean from the left in the 81^st minute.

Substitute Glenn Gabriel threatened further goals in the 85^th and 86^th minutes when one shot was blocked in front of goal and another from 25 yards zipped just wide.

Mousehole: Cory Harvey, Billy Curtis (captain), Mark Richards, Jamie Devine, Paulo Sousa, Tyler Tonkin, Reiss McClean, Kieran Toland, Amara Bakayoko, Gerens James, Hayden Turner

Substitutes: Glenn Gabriel (for Tyler Tonkin, 61), Tom Hands (for Gerens James, 80), Scott Imade (for Hayden Turner, 87), Mikey Flores, Jonny Ludlam

Penzance: Barrie Wyatt, Callum George, Keelan England, Sam Buckley, Tyler Buckley, Gary Bell, Jacob Cleverly, Andreas Staynes, Daryl Richards, Anton Oliver, Mawgan Kewn.

Substitutes: Nathan Taylor, Josh Turner, Ben Whiting

Scorers: Amara Bakayoko (11, 70), Hayden Turner (58, 81)

Officials: Kevin Knowles (Referee), Anita Gittins & Adam Price (Assistants)

Attendance: 236

For Mousehole, 2019 has been a landmark year, with promotion to the Premier West League to play at the highest-ever level in the club’s history, ongoing ground improvements including the installation of floodlights, and a developing reputation for high-quality coaching that is attracting some of the best talent in the region.

For 2020, the club’s resolution is to continue the momentum of recent developments, including a challenge for promotion to the next level (Step 5 of the non-league system), and work to bring Trungle Parc up to the standards required by the higher league.

The New Year fixtures start on Saturday  4^th January with a home fourth-round tie in the Cornwall Senior Cup against current league leaders St Austell, with a 2pm kick off.  The two sides have already drawn 1-1 in both league matches this season, so a close encounter is expected.

Then follow four consecutive home league matches, against St Blazey on Saturday 11^th January, Godolphin Atlantic on Saturday 18^th,  Helston Athletic on Friday 25^th (7.30pm), and Sticker on Saturday 1^st February.