Chorley 1 - 1 Mossley

If you chose to do something else on Saturday rather than wend your way up a rain soaked M61 to Victory Park, I applaud your decision making.

Just as it's always easy to define how good a game has been by reeling off a long list of exciting, action filled incidents, it's equally as simple to tell how bad a game was if the final whistle can be classed as a highlight. And sadly the latter is true in respect to this match.

In fact, such was the spectators desire to hear it, there was almost an audible groan from the terraces when it was announced that there'd be a further three minutes added onto the ninety at the end of the game.

As you can probably gather from the opening two paragraphs this isn't a match that will live long in the memory of anyone who saw it. That said, while it ultimately turned out to be a game that many were willing to quickly end, it did get off to a promising start

Obviously eager to try and put a poor run of form behind them, Chorley began the game like the proverbial house on fire and it's hard to argue that the lead they took after only five minutes wasn't a deserved one; Jordan Connerton forcing ex-Lilywhite Steve Burke's cross/shot over the line under pressure from full-back Daryl Weston.

It was a tempo they were never likely to be able to maintain for the course of the game and so it proved; their pedal to the metal efforts winding down into a series of hopeful and tired long balls after just ten minutes.

It took some time for Mossley to emerge from their shells but when they did they were soon back on level terms. A move started by Danny Egan on the right wing ended with the same player firing a loose ball into the net after Lee Blackshaw's overhead kick had been blocked on the line.

I can't bring you video footage of the goal because of the Double Standards League officials, but I can show it you in a series of stills:

Mossley controlled what remained of the half but apart from a shot by Danny Self that flashed across the face of the goal just before the break, they never looked like edging themselves in front.

Despite being somewhat short on noteworthy moments, the opening period was a real rip-roaring, barnstormer of a half in comparison to what followed after the interval.

Over the course of the remaining forty five minutes neither goalkeeper was required to do anything more than pluck the occasional cross out of the air as the game became a dour midfield battle, punctuated all to often, and for the most part unnecessarily, by the shrill of the referee's whistle.

If anything summed up how poor things were, it was the one genuine goalscoring opportunity that arrived in its closing stages. On the edge of the six yard box and with goal at his mercy, Chorley's Josh Kenworthy sliced a shot so far wide that it took a moment for the assistant referee to work out whether it had gone off for a goal kick or a throw-in.

I hate to use excuses but there are a few possible reasons as to why the game was so unremittingly lacklustre for the majority of its running time. First of all the terrible weather was hardly conducive to playing good football. Secondly, visits to Chorley always seem to bring out the averageness in Mossley. Junction 8 of the M61 is like Kryptonite to the Lilywhites.

Thirdly, and perhaps the most important, Mossley were once again having to field an unfamiliar looking side due to an injury list that doesn't seem to be getting any shorter. In fact during the course of the match it grew by two more names – Egan and Blackshaw both having to hobble off in the second half.

Overall though in taking a point from a ground where such things have been a rarity in the past, Mossley will probably be the happier of the two teams. Especially as it keeps their unbeaten record away from home in the league intact as well.

However, come the end of the season, should the Lilywhites miss out on promotion or a play-off spot by two points, it's games like this one (where they didn't make lengthy periods of possession count) that they'll probably look back on and rue.

Finally, having seen the report for this game in the Non-League Paper, as bad as it was I think we may have dodged a bigger bullet. According to the match rating this was a three star game so I can't even begin to imagine how bad recent fixtures at Victory Park must have been for this one to have been deemed average.

At least the team now gets a week off to recuperate, reflect and re... well something else beginning with re, before we face Newcastle and Halifax within the space of three days – two games that are likely to have a big effect on our aspirations for the season.