EVESHAM UNITED 1-2 MOUSEHOLE AFC: THE INDEPENDENT REPORT & SCREENSHOTS OF THE GOALS...

 Seagulls Fly Kite Over Unfortunate Robins…

Evesham United 1-2 Mousehole AFC

The Mowdog’s thoughts…

An ominous red kite soared over the stadium before the kick-off of this Southern League Division 1 Central contest, which somehow the Seagulls survived, despite an aerial assault by the frustrated Robins. Credit must go to visiting central defenders Josh Storey and Max Hill, who were under severe pressure from Robins’ strikers Levi Steele and Aidan Clark, plus tall home crew members Charlie Wise and Michael O’Regan throughout the match. To survive until added time when Wise bundled in what proved to be a consolation goal for the hosts, says much for the collective resolve of Mousehole’s performance, which featured a goalkeeper in fine form too, Ollie Chenoweth.

Several times the Seagulls scrambled the ball away from their goalmouth in thrilling incidents and Steele and Clark in particular must still be wondering how they didn’t find their names on the scoresheet.

Mousehole’s Hayden Turner did however, converting two of his four shooting opportunities, whilst Wise blocked a first period angled Turner effort and the AFC striker shot by the right upright late in the second period. 

It just wasn’t to be for the Robins who now lie 6th in the league table, just a point ahead of 9th placed Mousehole in a congested section of the standings and with the play-off positions very much up for grabs.  

Ollie Chenoweth’s contribution… 

A couple of smart catches and punches clear notwithstanding, the AFC gloveman excelled himself with several admirable saves. Apart from three takes from home skipper Amer Awadh, Clark, then defender Leighton Tuodolo before the break, Chenoweth made a smart save low to his left when Will Owens drove in a shot from inside-left. However, he was fortunate when the referee failed to spot a trip on Storey by Clark outside the AFC penalty-box, allowing Awadh to storm into the 18 yard area, only to be halted by Hill’s challenge, with Chenoweth advancing. As Steele prepared to pounce, somehow the grounded Hill hooked the ball off Steele’s boot and then lunged to block the fallen Awadh’s rebound effort. Incredible stuff…

Wise missed a good chance too, shoving a shot wide of the left post when he pulled free on the right side of the penalty-area to reach an Owens free-kick.

After half-time, Chenoweth did really well to get across to the right side of his goal to tip over a far post header by the unchallenged Clark, then another Clark header from close range was superbly stopped on the goal-line, I believe by the goalminder again, as Mousehole began to withstand some terrific aerial pressure.

After Steele’s low cross-shot was deflected for a left-flank corner and Owen’s clipped effort landed on the roof of the net, Chenoweth made a splendid save, tipping the ball over the goal-frame from replacement Ethan Moran’s powerful angled drive from the right. 

It remained only for both O’Regan and Wise to miss the target with headers and for Steele to just miss connecting with a low left-wing centre, before Wise slid to connect with a left-side centre by Owens at the near post to turn the ball into the right corner of the net. The sunlight in my hand-held camera’s viewfinder made it tough to see whether I had followed the ball at that precise moment and I must apologise to Charlie for the poor view of his goal…

OWENS ASSISTS...

...THE BALL FLIES TO THE NEAR POST...

WHERE WISE TURNS IT INTO THE NET...

& IT'S 1-2...

Tallan Mitchell, Turner & Josh Bissett…

Turner’s two goals were assisted by Mitchell and then Bissett, although to be fair, the assistants were also assisted, both by Paulo Ranalli Sousa’s passes. 

Early in the encounter, Mitchell’s precocious control, 22 yards out led to a clever clipped pass over the home defenders for the run made by Turner at inside-right and the forward lifted a delicate shot over the lunging and advancing ‘keeper, Archie Burford. The ball bounced unattended into the Evesham net… 

MITCHELL IN POSSESSION...

...THEN CLIPS A CLEVER PASS FOR TURNER...

...WHO LIFTS THE BALL OVER BURFORD...

...FOR 0-1...

After half-time, maybe around the 70th minute mark, Sousa’s deft pass inside United substitute Jordy Ngathe, then playing at right-back, freed the alert Bissett and the replacement’s first-time low centre was simply side-footed first-time into the net by Turner. A smart and clinical finish at a critical point in the match for the visitors, who were having to defend with selfless industry, putting bodies in the way and dealing with the height advantage which Evesham possessed.

SOUSA'S PASS...

...TO BISSETT, WHOSE LOW CENTRE...

...IS CONVERTED BY TURNER...

...& IT'S 0-2...

Mitchell? What a pain he was in the backsides of the Evesham players, constantly niggling at them, harassing them and regularly ‘addressing’ the officials, one of whom rather unwisely exchanged banter with some ‘inquisitive’ Mousehole supporters on the touchline to my right… 

MITCHELL HAS WORDS...

Mitchell did well for his team however and his assist for Turner’s opening goal was delightful…  

Bissett’s other real contribution, bar helping the prevention cause, was when surely he was attempting to switch play from the right-flank to a team-mate way across on the left but the trajectory of his lofted pass suddenly appeared to heading goalwards. Burford was off his goal-line and he began a desperate scurry back towards his right post and leapt in hope as the ball dropped just wide… Audacious? Hmm, a pass, surely? 

BURFORD WOULD BE RELIEVED THAT BISSETT'S 'DELIVERY' PASSED JUST WIDE...

The final words…

All in all the contest was enthralling for independent observers, who wondered whether Evesham’s offense could find a way to conquer Mousehole’s stubborn, relentless unwillingness to surrender their advantage. Certainly Turner, Mitchell, Storey, Hill and Chenoweth led their colleagues with some aplomb, whilst Sousa and the supporting cast rallied round that nucleus.

United were truly unfortunate at times and really ought to have taken something from the game and the hands to the head incredulity pose was seen on quite a number of occasions as Mousehole resisted their forceful and physical attacking. 

Subsequent matches will sort out the scramble for play-off berths but Evesham will recover from this loss, just as Mousehole might gain more confidence from the body-sapping effort displayed…