MOUSEHOLE 2-0 BUDE TOWN
SOUTH WEST PENINSULA LEAGUE, DIVISION 1 WEST
SATURDAY 21ST APRIL 2018, AT TRUNGLE PARC
After wins on Monday at St Blazey and at home on Wednesday against Ludgvan, Mousehole were rewarded for their patience with two late goals and three vital points to stay near the top of the table against bottom side Bude Town on a hot sunny afternoon at Trungle Parc.
The visitors proved to be stubborn opponents who set out to stifle Mousehole’s progressive play in the final third of the pitch while offering no attacking threat of their own. However, they showed enough determination to suggest that their upturn during the second half of the season – with five wins from 11 matches, including over title-chasing Ludgvan and St Dennis, to catch up with the sides above them – might overcome their barren start to the season with 13 defeats in the first 14 games. And even more to their credit, they made their longest journey of the season with just enough players for the 11 spaces on the team sheet, when it might have been easy to forfeit the fixture.
Mousehole fielded the same starting X1 as for the Ludgvan game and proceeded to dominate possession and create chances. Luke Johnson had a goalbound volley cleared off the line on 12 minutes, William Vouama drove just past the post from 20 yards after a surging run on 20, another Johnson drive hit the post and zipped along the goal-line on 37, Ryan Holland was just too high with an 18-yard drive on 40, and Calum Elliot’s 30-yarder was parried by Gary Dinshaw in goal with Holland turning the loose ball over from 8 yards on the stroke of half-time.
The second period played out in the same manner. In the space of seven minutes Dinshaw kept his under-pressure side in the game with two diving saves from Paulo Sousa and a block from William Vouama, but was nearly beaten by his own defender when Sousa’s cross was deflected into the side netting. However, the long-awaited goal arrived in the 79th minute, Jake Andrew continuing his impressive scoring form by converting Luke Johnson’s low cross with a left-footed scoop into the roof of the net from 6 yards. Johnson himself guaranteed the three points in the 90th minute when his volley on the far side of the 6-yard box from Kevin Lawrence’s left-sided corner was too strong for Dinshaw.
Mousehole have four League games left of which three are at home. They now have a week before the first of these, against Millbrook next Saturday at Trungle Parc (3pm), with the result potentially having a decisive impact on the top positions in the Division. Millbrook – who have lost only three league games so far – would on paper be the champions if they won their games in hand, but they still have a congested fixture list with eight games to play in 15 days, including on Monday at Wadebridge and at home against Dobwalls on Wednesday.
Mousehole v Bude Town: Steve Parker-Billinge, Billy Curtis (captain), Liam Andrew, Calum Elliot, Josh Otto, Kevin Lawrence, Ryan Holland, William Vouama, Paulo Sousa, Luke Johnson, Jake Andrew. Substitutes: Steven Ziboth (for Ryan Holland, 60), Jordan Adlard (for Steven Ziboth, 79), Jamie Thomson, Paul Williams, Chris Prout.
Scorers: Jake Andrew (79), Luke Johnson (90).
Referee: Martin Ault. Attendance: 74.
