MALVERN TOWN 3-0 MOUSEHOLE AFC: THE MOWDOG'S INDEPENDENT REPORT + SCREENSHOTS...

 Hillsiders Punish Misfiring Seagulls…

Malvern Town 3-0 Mousehole AFC…

The Mowdog’s thoughts…

Before Town replacement Harry Clark opened the scoring for his team almost on the hour with his first meaningful contribution to this often untidy encounter, I thought that a 0-0 draw was beginning to seem quite a possibility. Malvern might have ruefully accepted that at the time, whilst Mousehole might just have welcomed it.

That further goals were added by the hosts was probably well deserved, for very often the Hillsiders looked the more accomplished outfit whereas Mousehole often dithered in possession and subsequently forwards Tim Nixon, Liam Prynn and Turner seemed isolated.

I had been instructed by Malvern official Toby (not at the match) to ask someone called Josh for a copy of the teamsheet and I was welcomed to the stadium by media guy Will, with whom I had chatted before last season’s game v Helston…

I have recently been watching again the famous U.S. series West Wing and coincidentally, three of the aides to the fictional President Bartlet were, er, Toby, Josh and Will… 

Weird…  

So I took a position to film from, just left of the half-way line, taped my precious teamsheet to the rail to help with my commentary but just before the game began, a photographer plonked his stool and equipment down inside the fence, level with the half-way line and consequently he blocked my view of the pitch away to my right. “You’re not really going to take pictures from there, are you?” I asked…  

He told me, “Yes.”

Unbelievable. I moved my stuff two or three metres to the left…

And then I thought that he would likely have entered the ground free to take some photos, whilst I had paid my concessionary £7 for the privilege of filming the action with commentary, taking photos and then writing a full match report afterwards.

I felt rather gullible…

Mousehole’s application…

Right from the start their defenders, skipper Jack Calver, the redoubtable James Ward and the rather tall Will Oduwa were intent on moving the ball about and between themselves from deep, hoping to bring their midfielders into the play and then presumably for the playmakers to provide some creativity and service for the forwards.

However, the artificial surface seemed slow and ground passes didn’t reach their targets quickly, allowing home forwards Piers Walton, Ryan Brunt, Matt Macdonald and Sam Clark to lurk and pressure, harass and hassle, resulting in a few calamitous losses of possession by the hurrying Seagulls. 

The high bounce from the surface caused a few problems too but in fairness, Mousehole held their hosts to just a few goalmouth skirmishes and few goal attempts. Until the hour mark, that is…

The attacking action before the interval…

Strangely, visiting goalie Lewis Moyle, deputising for the unavailable Ollie Chenoweth wasn’t really tested before the break, for the physically dominant Brunt miscued one effort which was cleared, he drove another effort way too high and Moyle collected another slight miscue from the forward.

The best opportunity for the Hillsiders was when their influential left-back Ben Baxter found himself one-on-one with Moyle at inside-left but interestingly he shot right-booted and the ball rolled to the gloveman.

Incredibly, Mousehole’s three offensive sorties of the opening period really worried Malvern’s defence. First, a Turner run along the left flank ended with no real shot after he had cut inside, a low drive by the often quiet midfielder Ed Harrison was blocked by home defender Matt Fulloway and a superb drive by Calver from way downtown was saved by the glove tips of diving home goalminder Seth Locke, at the expense of a corner.

FULLOWAY BLOCKS FROM HARRISON...

THE LEAPING LOCKE SAVES FROM CALVER...

After the recess…      

Baxter almost bundled the ball into goal for Town at the left post, before Mousehole’s grounded Tallan Mitchell flicked the ball to Prynn, who was able to feed the ball left for Turner to run onto and go clear but he lifted his shot well over the target as Locke advanced from goal.

TURNER LOOKS SET TO SCORE...

...BUT DOESN'T...

The miss proved really costly as soon afterwards, replacement Harry Clark was fed by Walton’s cute pass inside from the left corner of the 18 yard box, after the winger had lifted the ball over Ward’s head and drawn two other players to him. Clark was unmarked and he bobbled a low drive into the left side of the net from 12 yards.

HARRY CLARK SHOOTS...

...& IT'S 1-0...

Soon, Oduwa dragged Brunt down inside a crowded penalty-area and although Fulloway drove the loose ball low into the Mousehole net, the referee had already signalled for a spot-kick. 

Brunt shot his low penalty into the left side of goal, as Moyle dived the other way.

BRUNT GOES DOWN...

...FULLOWAY NETS...

...BUT IT'S BRUNT'S PENALTY WHICH MAKES THE SCORE...

...2-0...

The third home goal was scored by the right-sided Levi Francis, who had already fired one shot off-target but this time he received a low pass on the right from Sam Clark, Mousehole’s substitute left-back Tyrell Dawes had been watching Clark, which had left Francis free to move forwards onto the ball and shoot across Moyle into the far side of the net, although it looked at first as though the ‘keeper’s flailing hand might prevent the ball from going in. It didn’t.

SAM CLARK'S ASSIST...

...& FRANCIS SHOOTS...

...GOAL 3...

Another Francis effort was tipped wide by Moyle, substitute Lewis Platt’s header was deflected off target and the Hillsiders were close to a fourth goal in a late goalmouth melee.  

ANOTHER FRANCIS SHOT...

...IS WELL SAVED BY MOYLE...

Seagull Turner fired a decent 23 yard free-kick over the Malvern wall but Locke used his feet to good effect and get across to his right, handling the dipping effort well but that was all the Seagulls could manage, despite the industry of all of their substitutes.

TURNER'S FREE-KICK...

...IS DEALT WITH BY LOCKE...

The final words…

Malvern would be very pleased with the result and also the strength of their defence in general, where Dion Molyneux, skipper Charlie Johnson and Fulloway held their ground well and were rarely troubled, in truth.  

Joe Bullock was effective in midfield and Walton’s clever play was often a problem for Mousehole. Sam Clark was busy for his team and Brunt simply had to be watched. The Brummie ex-Plymouth Argyle striker simply had to score against a Cornish team…

The referee might have penalised the Mousehole defence a few times for pulling offences but didn’t and although Calver skippered the team well enough, his colleagues looked lack-lustre. Mitchell displayed a few neat touches and real intention, Hayden Black was busy but forwards Prynn and Nixon were offered little to chew on.

Turner was the threat for Mousehole but he received little in the way of decent service throughout the contest.

A deserved win for last season’s play-off finalists but lots to do for Jake Ash’s Seagulls…