PLAYOFF SEMI-FINAL | FROME TOWN 3-0 MOUSEHOLE | GOALS AND INTERVIEWS

It was Robins versus Seagulls for this momentous end-stage of the West Cornwall club’s first ever season in the Southern League. A promotion play-off semi-final between the hosts in second place, having been at or near the summit almost all season; and the visitors having managed to sneak into the fifth and last play-off place on goal difference in the final League fixture on Saturday after a season’s-best sequence of five consecutive wins. Mousehole were the last team to beat Frome in the League – a 3-2 win at Trungle Parc during their superb February run in which they notched up three victories against top sides. Frome had finished 17 points ahead of Mousehole with an unbeaten Home record, but had endured an indifferent end to their season, drawing four of their last six games with the dropped points ruining the chance of automatic promotion as Champions. Could a relaxed Mousehole, already with a highly commendable season achieved, and incredibly well supported despite the rigours of a 400-mile midweek trip, triumph against a team potentially nerve-wracked by the importance of the occasion? That question, on a very wet evening but nevertheless in front of our huge crowd - the biggest that Mousehole have ever played in front of - was quickly answered by the hosts in a dominant first half in which they scored early, midway and late, each goal avoidable but the result of hard pressing, strength and clinical finishing . And despite going down to ten men on the hour, The Robins - organised and uncompromising - snuffed out everything that The Seagulls could muster despite a much-improved possession-based second-half performance. So, Frome Town, with a 3-0 win that accurately reflected their superiority, now have the chance to earn promotion back to the Southern League Premier at Step 3, five seasons after a relegation that ended an eight-year period at the higher level. They have Home advantage in the Play-Off Final on Bank Holiday Monday against fourth-place Bristol Manor Farm, who won 2-1 in the other semi-final at third-place Cribbs. Recent history suggests an interesting encounter, with Frome drawing 3-3 in the League just last Saturday against BMF, scoring two late goals to preserve their unbeaten Home record; and painful memories of two years ago with a 3-1 Home loss in a play-off semi-final against the same opponents. Website: https://www.mouseholeafc.co.uk/ Facebook:   / mouseholeafc   Twitter:   / mouseholeafc   Instagram:   / mouseholeafc   TikTok:   / mouseholeafc