Mousehole 0-2 Westbury United
They say that a week is a long time in politics. It had been just over a week since Mousehole had walloped Didcot five nil but that seemed like a lifetime ago by the time this match with Westbury was over. Where we had been magnificent against Didcot we were poor against Westbury.
The match started as so many of our games have recently with neither side able to gain the upper hand and neither side particularly looking like they wanted too. There were two early chances for the Seagulls. The first saw Jordan Hackett cut in from the left and fire over the bar from a tight angle. The second saw the normally deadly hitman Hayden Turner spurn a good chance from ten yards out. Set free by Tim Nixon the crowd breathed in ready to exhale a cheer as the ball nestled in the onion bag. What came out instead was a rasp of frustration as our second chance ended up joining the first in the cricket field.
Having survived those early scares Westbury became more adventurous and started making in-roads into Mousehole’s half as the home team shrank into their shells. The goal when it came was a bit of a shock as both teams had been shot-shy following the early exchanges.
After thirty-five minutes a midfield melee ended up with the ball at the Westbury right back’s feet. He curled a hopeful ball down the line. Maybe it was the wind, maybe it was some unexpected spin on the pass but Konte misjudged the flight of the ball and it sailed over his head into the path of the onrushing Joe Beardwell. He took one touch and then scuffed his shot past Ollie Chenoweth. Maybe if he’d hit it cleanly Ollie would have saved it but the finish summed up the move.
Mousehole needed to start the second half strongly but they never really got out the traps. Westbury having travelled up in a mini-bus rather than the usual coach had obviously become accustomed to keeping it tight and their back line was an airtight unit through which we could not find a passage.
Seventy minutes saw the introduction of debutant Oscar Massey. Having netted a-plenty for Falmouth before his move to Trungle there was optimism in the air as he jogged into position. Not long after he crossed the white-line he got his first chance. Coming in from the right of the box he sighted the goal and smashed his shot into the bar. Had that gone in we would probably have gone on to win but it wasn’t to be. In spite of making further substitutions and shape changes the Mousehole coaching staff couldn’t work out the conundrum set by the visitors.
With the clock ticking down and the cries from the sidelines getting more and more anxious Westbury dealt the fatal blow when the ball bounced in the box following a free kick. Daniel Restorick lashed it home and signalled to the bench to fire up the mini-bus ready to go home with the spoils.
A night which had begun with much hope ended in despair and a return to the drawing board. A win would have taken Mousehole to third; defeat left us still only five points off second so whilst heads were down everyone knew the season was still there for the taking.
