Mossley 1 - 1 Leigh Genesis

The search for the first win since their opening day victory over Garforth continues for Mossley after they were held to one-all draw at Seel Park by Leigh Genesis - a name which after over twelve months still resembles that of a pub singer rather than a football club.

As someone accurately pointed at half-time, it was easy to see why both sides were playing a league game and not an FA Cup tie like most of their peers were. I’m not saying it was bad... okay, maybe I am a little.

After a relatively even (a polite way of saying not a lot happened) forty five minutes of football that certainly felt much longer, one goal was all that separated the two sides. And thankfully it was a goal that went Mossley’s way just after the half way mark.

In the chase for the ball across the edge of his own penalty area, Genesis captain and former Lilywhite centre half Jonathan Smith ended a race he was losing by clumsily sending Matty Kay tumbling to the floor. Despite Smith's protestations of innocence (somehow managing to keep a straight face while arguing that he didn’t just perform one of the most obvious fouls this season) the referee had little option other than to punish him and after consulting with assistant as to where the offence took place, pointed to the penalty spot; Kay himself converting the kick for his fourth goal of the campaign.

Sadly it was a lead that the Lilywhites could not hang on to, their propensity this season for conceding soft goals in the early stages of the second half coming to the fore once more. The player to benefit on this occasion was Andy Heald who took advantage of some static defending to loop a header over Peter Collinge and into the Mossley goal.

For a significant stretch of time it appeared that this was going to be the final incident of note in a game that was slowly, and I do mean slowly, drifting towards its conclusion. With twenty minutes remaining however Mossley found a second wind that put their opponents on the back foot for the rest of the match. And though a winning goal never arrived it wasn't through a lack of effort.

Matty Kay almost doubled his and Mossley's tally with a vicious shot from 25 yards that hammered back off the upright; Graham Kay volleyed wide from a position in which missing the target was the hardest thing he could have done; Stuart Wellstead finished a long, mazy run by tamely hitting the ball into the keepers arms and deep into stoppage time, substitute Steve Settle headed a corner wide the post.

In the end it's a game Mossley will look back on and think they should have won. And after what has been a disappointing opening to the season, “should have won” is something of an improvement over what has gone before.

With a bit more luck and composure in front of goal we might just have won. And but for that defensive lapse just after the interval it's likely that the penalty would have been enough to give the Lilywhites the win as well.

To finish though (your eyes do not deceive you, this is a short report!) if you feel there's a lack of names above there's a very good reason for it – I’m not sure who was who and, sadly, I’m not just talking about the visitors here either. We may only be eight games into the season but Mossley have used nearly thirty players already, and keeping track of the comings and goings is dizzying.

So don’t be surprised if in future reports you find Anon passing to Thingy, before Whosit skies the ball thirty yards over the top of the crossbar.

To Ossett we head then (well you may be, I'm not) in the hope of stretching our unbeaten run to two games. Yes, the tension is indeed bearable.