Mossley 5 - 1 Elland Athletic

Another day, another friendly and the latest installment of the Lilywhites rebuilding programme saw Halifax amateur side Elland Athletic provide the opposition on a rare sun kissed summer evening (at least when there's a football match on) in north-east Manchester/south-east Lancashire - take your pick as to which you prefer.

Expectations of an ensuing comfortable victory were heightened when with the game only minutes old the Lilywhites took the lead. A calamitous mix-up between the Elland keeper and one of his defenders gave David Wallace the opportunity to roll the ball into an unguarded net from thirty yards. No mean feat on Seel Park's bobbly surface.

.Elland's keeper Chris Moroney sits and contemplates the merits of rushing out of his box as David Wallace's (out of picture) long range effort makes it's way towards the goal

The flood gates didn't open though as the visitors showed more flair and imagination than Ashton United had done in the previous friendly last Friday. Aided by a well marshalled back line playing the offside trap six inches from the halfway line they certainly made Mossley work for their win. In fact they came incredibly close to levelling the scores when a shot from the edge of the box pinged back off an upright and into the arms of a grateful Ashley Connor.

The home side eventually started to work a way around the Elland defence and two goals in quick succession saw them take a three goal lead into the break. The first of this brace came via the head of Arron Kirk from a corner (although he had to wait a moment for the ball to bounce off the bar and goal line a couple of times before it registered as a goal) whilst the second was another result of the quick thinking and burst of pace we've seen from Kitson Gayle over the past fortnight.

Arron Kirk (left) wheels away as the ball bounces between the cross bar and the goal for a while before eventually going in.

Hopes of a first clean sheet of the pre-season campaign ended within the first five minutes of the second period when an Elland players mazy dribble into the box came to an end; sent he crashing to the floor by a Mossley foot. Actually 'crashing' is not the right word... slowly lowering himself is perhaps more descriptive. That's not to say it wasn't a penalty (it clearly was) but the kick had been awarded, taken, scored and the match restarted before the foulee actually hit the ground.

As the game wore on Mossley's higher level of fitness quickly became increasingly apparent and it was no surprise that the number of chances at the Halifax sides end of the field started to grow. Most of the players in a white shirt had a pop at increasing the goal tally but only Lee Blackshaw and Jamie Miller could add to the scoreline before time ran out.

The scoring is wrapped up for the night by Jamie Miller.

Following on from the Ashton and Thackley games it was once again another encouraging display from Mossley. Like I said in my last report there are still wrinkles that need ironing out. However I've yet to speak to anyone who isn't quietly impressed by the way things seem to be progressing. Undoubtedly there are some players whose names have already been entered onto the teamsheet for the Garforth game in ink, let alone pencil, but choosing the rest of that starting eleven is not a job I envy.

So many impressive players, so few places.