MOUSEHOLE 1-1 FALMOUTH TOWN
Falmouth Town fought out another creditable 1-1 draw against another play-off chasing team in the shape of local rivals Mousehole AFC in front of a monster crowd of 651 at a sunny Interiora Trungle Park on Easter Monday.
Falmouth started with the same line-up as Saturday’s game versus Bristol Manor Farm handing young Olly Evans another start. This time though, the bench was strengthened with the addition of Jack Bray-Evans, formerly of this parish and since having signed as cover, now that Newquay, his current side, have secured the SWPL league title. He will be an important presence during the busy week ahead if available.
The game started frenetically, typical of it’s derby status, but it was Mousehole that struck the first blow after only 9 minutes. A defensive mix-up between Tom Annear and Morgan Coxhead allowed former Falmouth favourite, Tim Nixon to nip in between them and toe-end the ball into the net from just inside the box. Accusations that he had nudged Annear in the back to force the mistake being ignored by referee Josh Eyre.
Mousehole were on top territorially playing down the slope and with the wind at their backs. Another ex-Town favourite Oscar Massey looking to play on the shoulder of the last man, Hayden Turner giving Town’s Fred Walter a stern test with his pace and trickery and the ever -impressive Julio Fresneda keeping Mousehole ticking with his clever distribution, whenever he managed to slip the attentions of his opposite number Andreas Calleja-Stayne.
Falmouth struggled to create any chances until a period of pressure at the end of the half forced a corner from the left. The Annear corner fell to ex-Town skipper James Ward in the box who tried to shepherd it out of touch, but Luke Barner was having none of it. He got between Ward and the ball and in his efforts to win it back, Ward was adjudged to have fouled Barner from behind. A penalty was awarded and Rubin Wilson stepped forward to place it confidently to keeper Ollie Chenoweths’s right to make it 1-1. The goal being scored in the 2nd minute of stoppage time. Falmouth saw the rest of the half out and the game was finely poised with all to play for after the break.
Within three minutes of the re-start, Falmouth made a tactical double substitution. They seemed to switch formations going to three at the back and taking off Barner, who was carrying a knock from the first half, and Olly Evans, who had been well contained by Mousehole right back Ryan Barrett. Cam Hutchison slotted into the No. 10 role with Jared Sims moving to wide left and Luke Brabyn taking up a position wide on the right.
The result of this change was that Falmouth stopped Mousehole from playing through the middle of the pitch and the game became more scrappy, with neither side really on top. However, Falmouth had lost their threat out wide.
Soon after the change, a free kick was won by Falmouth a few yards outside the Mousehole box in a central position. Tom Annear hit his free kick cleanly but it brushed the wall, narrowly missing the post and going out for a corner.
20 minutes into the half, Mousehole had their own near miss from a free kick with Max Hill directing his header just wide of Coxheads post from just inside the box.
Both sides were restricted to the odd promising attack with Mousehole, given their position in the league, showing more ambition to win the game. Bray-Evans was introduced with about 20 minutes to play and his brand of clever touches and physical play seemed to provide a greater threat to the two big Mousehole centre backs. Cam Hutchison was also having a great game showing intensity and urgency and getting some ferocious blocks and tackles in and subsequently lifting the spirits of the large travelling support.
Falmouth in the end managed to hold on to the draw fairly comfortably, and in the process had dealt a blow to their local rivals play-off hopes. Mousehole still sit within the play-off positions courtesy of a superior goal difference over 6th placed Exmouth Town, with one game left to play.
On another note, it was clear that, should Mousehole gain promotion, they will need to push through their plans to provide an alternative route to the ground. They were not equipped for the large crowd, with tailbacks on the sometimes single-track road approaching and leaving the village of Paul, where Trungle Park is based. In addition, it was a nightmare for the Falmouth supporters bus to get near to the ground, and the infamous track to the car park seemed to have deeper pot-holes than ever. The real issue though was for any supporters of reduced mobility. This track had to be negotiated if they had any chance of attending the game, but it was not really suitable for all types of vehicles.
GOALS:
Mousehole
Tim Nixon 9′
Falmouth Town
Rubin Wilson 45+2′ (Penalty)
Man of the Match: Harrison Jewell
Mousehole: Ollie Chenoweth, Ryan Barrett, James Ward, Max Hill, Jack Calver, Haydn Turner, Oscar Massey, Jack Symons, Julio Fresneda, Tim Nixon, Josh Bernard. Subs: Will Sullivan, Ross Derham, Medo Kante, Omar Elsa, Paulo Sousa.