By David Harrison

PRE-SEASON FRIENDLY (FRIDAY)

Launceston 0 Mousehole 6

THE Clarets completed a tough pre-season campaign when they entertained an impressive Mousehole side in an entertaining game on Friday evening.

Rather than play a series of relatively uninformative friendlies against other SWPL sides, Launceston manager Neil Price opted to challenge his young squad with fixtures against Southern League clubs Helston and Mousehole, either side of a visit from Western League Ilfracombe.

Unsurprisingly, all three games ended in defeat but Price saw enough to offer real encouragement for the new season, which opens at Penzance on Saturday (3pm).

Two penalties and two very late goals saw the visitors ease to a convincing victory in front of the largest crowd to attend a Launceston game since January, when the Premier League trophy was on display in the Pennygillam clubhouse.

Mousehole, who included former Clarets Ollie Chenoweth and Tallan Mitchell in their squad, led 3-0 at the break before eventually doubling their lead. Their scorers were Tim Nixon (2), Hayden Turner (2 pens), Jack Symonds and Josh Otto.

Launceston were still missing the likes of Lewis Young, Jaden Wood and James Close, while Ben Harrison was absent having picked up a painful shoulder injury against Ilfracombe. However Price was delighted to welcome back the versatile Carl Aldridge who slotted into a position on the right side of the defensive line.

Ollie Northam, who has enjoyed an impressive pre-season, continued to impress in the back four while fellow teenager, Ismail Badjie-Heath, showed flashes of his undoubted potential when he came on for the second half.