And if it's at all possible, a replay on Tuesday would be nice. Naturally I'd like us to win the tie at the first time of asking but if there's a chance to put off going to Woodley Sports for a little while longer I'll happily settle for a rematch.
The Support Back Home
As I won't be one of the not insignificant number of Mossley fans making their way down to Brackley tomorrow, I'd like to take this opportunity on the eve of the club's most important FA Trophy game for oh, two weeks at least, to offer my support to the players and management by saying...
And if it's at all possible, a replay on Tuesday would be nice. Naturally I'd like us to win the tie at the first time of asking but if there's a chance to put off going to Woodley Sports for a little while longer I'll happily settle for a rematch.
And if it's at all possible, a replay on Tuesday would be nice. Naturally I'd like us to win the tie at the first time of asking but if there's a chance to put off going to Woodley Sports for a little while longer I'll happily settle for a rematch.
The Leigh Gene-gifs
Apologies for the punnery in the post title but it should give you a very big clue as to what this update to the blog contains.
Yes, once more Mossley80 is giving you the chance to view some goals from a recent Tuesday night cup victory in low quality owmyeyes-ovision (trademark not pending). This time though there's no audio - just the clips.
To view them all you have to do is click on any of the following four pictures and the goal pertaining to that link will open in a new tab or window. Simple as that! So without further ado:
Yes, once more Mossley80 is giving you the chance to view some goals from a recent Tuesday night cup victory in low quality owmyeyes-ovision (trademark not pending). This time though there's no audio - just the clips.
To view them all you have to do is click on any of the following four pictures and the goal pertaining to that link will open in a new tab or window. Simple as that! So without further ado:
Mossley 4 - 0 Leigh Genesis
Saturday, 8th November 2003 at Clitheroe's Shawbridge ground.
I know that's a peculiar way to open a match report but it's an answer to a question that may be on the lips of a few people after this result. Whether those few people are actually reading this is another matter entirely but because a) I don't like anyone to feel left out and b) I was never a huge fan of the game show Jeopardy, I shall explain what that date and place allude to: it was the last time Mossley went ten games unbeaten.
Of course there's a reason why such a query is pertinent to the curious at this time and by now it should be obvious why. In case putting two and two together and getting four isn't your forte though, this victory over Leigh was Mossley's tenth game in a row unbeaten.
The club formerly known as Horwich R.M.I. will no doubt point out that they fielded a much changed and weakened side from the one that we faced at the weekend (a popular excuse for teams that lose cup games these days, along with 'unimportant' competition) but as the saying goes, you can only beat what's in front of you and Mossley did it quite comfortably. Eventually.
Three days earlier the two teams had played to a rather drab stalemate in a league game and, for the most part, the opening half hour to this encounter was a continuation of what had transpired at the Leigh Sports Village.
Attempts at breaking the deadlock were limited to some few and far between half chances: Chris Baguley wasted a couple for Genesis while the ones that fell to Steve's Settle and Moore proved similarly unsuccessful for the home side.
Even though a third of the game had barely transpired the unwelcome possibility of there being extra-time already seemed a very real one. Thankfully though a goal from out of the blue by Steve Moore not only lessened the prospects of an additional thirty minutes but finally injected some life into a decidedly low key contest.
In the interests of providing some balance to this report I should point out that the opening goal was scored from a very, very offside position. As I have no interest in being non-partisan though, it was a perfectly good, legitimate goal!
The Lilywhites would have gone in at the break two goals to the good had Sam Walker lowered his sights by a millimetre or two before crashing a shot off the crossbar but considering how spectacularly quotidian the half had been, the fact one goal had been scored was more than enough to heighten the spirits of those with a Mossley-centric view on proceedings.
The previous two meetings between the sides this season had both ended in one-all draws but – thankfully - the chance of history repeating itself for a third time was quashed almost immediately after the interval; Matty Kay getting the faintest of touches on Ben Richardson's deflected cross to direct it beyond Dean Porter and double Mossley's lead.
Richardson played an instrumental part in the Lilywhites third and fourth goals as well... come to think of it, he set up the first goal too! A powerful run into the box and a simple square pass gave Moore the opportunity to notch his second of the night, and if it hadn't been for a good save from Porter, Richardson could have claimed Mossley's fourth for himself. However the Leigh keeper could only parry the wing-back's thunderous thirty yard effort into the path of some inrushing white shirts and the loose ball was guided over the goal line by Matty Kay.
Hopefully at some point over the next day or so I'll be able to upload some low quality clips of the goals to the blog. The operative word in that previous sentence being 'hopefully'. If not this week though they'll be online next.
Further chances came and went for Mossley to add to their total but the fact none were converted doesn't detract from what was a comfortable win against good opposition and an ideal confidence booster ahead of Saturday's trip to Brackley in the FA Trophy.
I mean a tenth game in a row unbeaten, four goals scored for the third successive Tuesday, further progress in another cup competition and the phrase “bandy legged n*b” became the insult du jour... how can than not raise the spirit a little for what may be around the corner?
Anyway Mossley's reward for turning over Leigh is a late November evening trip to Lancaster. Oh. Joy.
I know that's a peculiar way to open a match report but it's an answer to a question that may be on the lips of a few people after this result. Whether those few people are actually reading this is another matter entirely but because a) I don't like anyone to feel left out and b) I was never a huge fan of the game show Jeopardy, I shall explain what that date and place allude to: it was the last time Mossley went ten games unbeaten.
Of course there's a reason why such a query is pertinent to the curious at this time and by now it should be obvious why. In case putting two and two together and getting four isn't your forte though, this victory over Leigh was Mossley's tenth game in a row unbeaten.
The club formerly known as Horwich R.M.I. will no doubt point out that they fielded a much changed and weakened side from the one that we faced at the weekend (a popular excuse for teams that lose cup games these days, along with 'unimportant' competition) but as the saying goes, you can only beat what's in front of you and Mossley did it quite comfortably. Eventually.
Three days earlier the two teams had played to a rather drab stalemate in a league game and, for the most part, the opening half hour to this encounter was a continuation of what had transpired at the Leigh Sports Village.
Attempts at breaking the deadlock were limited to some few and far between half chances: Chris Baguley wasted a couple for Genesis while the ones that fell to Steve's Settle and Moore proved similarly unsuccessful for the home side.
Even though a third of the game had barely transpired the unwelcome possibility of there being extra-time already seemed a very real one. Thankfully though a goal from out of the blue by Steve Moore not only lessened the prospects of an additional thirty minutes but finally injected some life into a decidedly low key contest.
In the interests of providing some balance to this report I should point out that the opening goal was scored from a very, very offside position. As I have no interest in being non-partisan though, it was a perfectly good, legitimate goal!
The Lilywhites would have gone in at the break two goals to the good had Sam Walker lowered his sights by a millimetre or two before crashing a shot off the crossbar but considering how spectacularly quotidian the half had been, the fact one goal had been scored was more than enough to heighten the spirits of those with a Mossley-centric view on proceedings.
The previous two meetings between the sides this season had both ended in one-all draws but – thankfully - the chance of history repeating itself for a third time was quashed almost immediately after the interval; Matty Kay getting the faintest of touches on Ben Richardson's deflected cross to direct it beyond Dean Porter and double Mossley's lead.
Richardson played an instrumental part in the Lilywhites third and fourth goals as well... come to think of it, he set up the first goal too! A powerful run into the box and a simple square pass gave Moore the opportunity to notch his second of the night, and if it hadn't been for a good save from Porter, Richardson could have claimed Mossley's fourth for himself. However the Leigh keeper could only parry the wing-back's thunderous thirty yard effort into the path of some inrushing white shirts and the loose ball was guided over the goal line by Matty Kay.
Hopefully at some point over the next day or so I'll be able to upload some low quality clips of the goals to the blog. The operative word in that previous sentence being 'hopefully'. If not this week though they'll be online next.
Further chances came and went for Mossley to add to their total but the fact none were converted doesn't detract from what was a comfortable win against good opposition and an ideal confidence booster ahead of Saturday's trip to Brackley in the FA Trophy.
I mean a tenth game in a row unbeaten, four goals scored for the third successive Tuesday, further progress in another cup competition and the phrase “bandy legged n*b” became the insult du jour... how can than not raise the spirit a little for what may be around the corner?
Anyway Mossley's reward for turning over Leigh is a late November evening trip to Lancaster. Oh. Joy.
Leigh Genesis 1 - 1 Mossley
This was one of those matches that certain clichés were invented for so if you don't mind I'd like to get the more obvious ones out of the way as early as possible:
You know those times when watching Mossley makes you so frustrated? Well this was one of them. Everything seems to be going well and then, out of the blue, we do something silly and a seemingly nailed on victory disappears to the sound of hands slapping against foreheads in disbelief.
Just over a month ago both sides had played out a rather mundane draw in the corresponding fixture at Seel Park and this meeting, for the most part, gave no indication of being any different.
In terms of shots and goalmouth incidents there was precious little to entertain Leigh's largest crowd of the season for long stretches of the opening period. Peter Collinge was forced into making a good save to stop Jamie Baguley giving the home side the lead from a free kick and, at the opposite end of the pitch, a series of corners had the Leigh goalkeeper, Stephen Drench, flapping around the box like a man trying to rid himself of a particularly bothersome fly.
Graham Kay almost benefited from one of Drench's many handling errors during this brief moment of excitement when he looped a header onto the crossbar but in the course of forty four minutes there was only one real talking point.
It took place midway through the half when Nick Allen was kicked in the head by Andy Heald after the Mossley midfielder had tackled him cleanly on the edge of the box. The referee saw the petulant and dangerous lash at the prone Allen and immediately showed the Leigh player a red card, though it did take him a while to leave the pitch as he dragged out his “Why me? I did nothing!” routine to an unimpressed audience.
Happily a second topic for half-time discussion arrived in the forty fifth minute. One of the few, and oh do I mean few, passages of good football in the match saw Sam Walker, Matty Kay and Karl Brown combine to move the ball across the pitch and into the path of Ben Richardson who was charging into the penalty area. Without breaking his stride the Mossley wing-back launched a venomous shot across Drench and into the roof of the net before embarking on a mazy, celebratory run.
It was a superb goal and I'd love to be able to show you video, or even one of those stuttering animated gifs, of it but I can't. Why? Because I was banned from taking photos.
That's right. You can drink alcohol sat in the stands at Leigh while the game is going on, you can video the game on your mobile but woe betide anyone taking snaps with a small compact camera from the tiny section of the ground everyone has been corralled into.
Actually that's not quite true and the whole thing wouldn't have irritated me quite so much if it wasn't for this - the fact that people in the block of seats next to me people were using them without censure. One rule for visiting fans I suppose, another for home supporters with their families. There's really nothing like an unevenly administered ruling to raise the hackles is there?
I'm not having a go at Leigh Genesis here but their landlords, Leigh Sports Village who are the ones who've put this ruling in place.
Anyway, mini-rant over and back to the game.
With the home side confined to nothing but the occasional effort from long distance and the visitors struggling to make their extra man count, the game in the early stages of the second half looked to be over and that everyone was simply passing the time until the final whistle sounded. At least it did until Mossley brought out the blunderbuss, took aim at their own foot and began firing wildly.
A minute before the hour mark, and under no pressure at all, the Lilywhites effortlessly gave the ball away thirty yards from their own goal and ten seconds later it was in the back of their net. Collinge had done remarkably well to keep the initial shot out from Tom Ince but Chris Thompson reacted quickly to bundle the ball over the line.
If anything good came of the equaliser from a Mossley perspective it was that it finally appeared to inject a spark of life into them. Suddenly there was a bit more urgency to their play but even with the advantage in numbers they failed to create as many opportunities as they should have done. It would be nice to report that Leigh were hanging on with ten men but they weren't; it was altogether more comfortable for them than it should have been,
The two good openings the Lilywhites did work came within sixty seconds each other as the end of the game loomed. The first chance brought a great save out of Drench to deny Richardson what would have been a near perfect copy of his goal in the first half, while the second saw Nathan Neequaye hammer a shot against the post from close range.
Plenty of bluster was shown in the final few minutes from both sides but a match winning goal never materialised or even looked like doing, leaving Mossley to rue the lapse in concentration which turned three points into one.
Should we be happy with a point away to a team currently residing in the top six? Or should we be upset at only managing a draw against a side who played for seventy minutes with ten men and barely mounted any meaningful attacks?
From my own personal point of view it's the second reason which, while some of you may feel harsh, does at least show we're making progress. How so? Well who'd have thought we'd be coming away from the home of a side chasing promotion despairing at our failure to win? Not me for one and that fills me with a lot of hope for what may be to come.
I am left though with one question niggling away at the back of my mind and one you may be able to help me with. Despite all the managers and players that come and go at Mossley, why do we always struggle against ten men?
That's stumped you hasn't it? Suddenly finding an answer to the meaning of life seems simple in comparison doesn't it?
Hopefully the third meeting between the sides this season on Tuesday in the League Cup will provide something other than the rather staid 1-1 draws the two previous encounters have produced. And no, I'm not holding my breath either.
- If someone said before the match we'd get a draw we'd have been happy.
- It was hard at times to tell which side had been reduced to ten men.
- A draw snatched from the jaws of victory.
- Not a point won but two lost
You know those times when watching Mossley makes you so frustrated? Well this was one of them. Everything seems to be going well and then, out of the blue, we do something silly and a seemingly nailed on victory disappears to the sound of hands slapping against foreheads in disbelief.
Just over a month ago both sides had played out a rather mundane draw in the corresponding fixture at Seel Park and this meeting, for the most part, gave no indication of being any different.
In terms of shots and goalmouth incidents there was precious little to entertain Leigh's largest crowd of the season for long stretches of the opening period. Peter Collinge was forced into making a good save to stop Jamie Baguley giving the home side the lead from a free kick and, at the opposite end of the pitch, a series of corners had the Leigh goalkeeper, Stephen Drench, flapping around the box like a man trying to rid himself of a particularly bothersome fly.
Graham Kay almost benefited from one of Drench's many handling errors during this brief moment of excitement when he looped a header onto the crossbar but in the course of forty four minutes there was only one real talking point.
It took place midway through the half when Nick Allen was kicked in the head by Andy Heald after the Mossley midfielder had tackled him cleanly on the edge of the box. The referee saw the petulant and dangerous lash at the prone Allen and immediately showed the Leigh player a red card, though it did take him a while to leave the pitch as he dragged out his “Why me? I did nothing!” routine to an unimpressed audience.
Happily a second topic for half-time discussion arrived in the forty fifth minute. One of the few, and oh do I mean few, passages of good football in the match saw Sam Walker, Matty Kay and Karl Brown combine to move the ball across the pitch and into the path of Ben Richardson who was charging into the penalty area. Without breaking his stride the Mossley wing-back launched a venomous shot across Drench and into the roof of the net before embarking on a mazy, celebratory run.
It was a superb goal and I'd love to be able to show you video, or even one of those stuttering animated gifs, of it but I can't. Why? Because I was banned from taking photos.
That's right. You can drink alcohol sat in the stands at Leigh while the game is going on, you can video the game on your mobile but woe betide anyone taking snaps with a small compact camera from the tiny section of the ground everyone has been corralled into.
Actually that's not quite true and the whole thing wouldn't have irritated me quite so much if it wasn't for this - the fact that people in the block of seats next to me people were using them without censure. One rule for visiting fans I suppose, another for home supporters with their families. There's really nothing like an unevenly administered ruling to raise the hackles is there?
I'm not having a go at Leigh Genesis here but their landlords, Leigh Sports Village who are the ones who've put this ruling in place.
Anyway, mini-rant over and back to the game.
With the home side confined to nothing but the occasional effort from long distance and the visitors struggling to make their extra man count, the game in the early stages of the second half looked to be over and that everyone was simply passing the time until the final whistle sounded. At least it did until Mossley brought out the blunderbuss, took aim at their own foot and began firing wildly.
A minute before the hour mark, and under no pressure at all, the Lilywhites effortlessly gave the ball away thirty yards from their own goal and ten seconds later it was in the back of their net. Collinge had done remarkably well to keep the initial shot out from Tom Ince but Chris Thompson reacted quickly to bundle the ball over the line.
If anything good came of the equaliser from a Mossley perspective it was that it finally appeared to inject a spark of life into them. Suddenly there was a bit more urgency to their play but even with the advantage in numbers they failed to create as many opportunities as they should have done. It would be nice to report that Leigh were hanging on with ten men but they weren't; it was altogether more comfortable for them than it should have been,
The two good openings the Lilywhites did work came within sixty seconds each other as the end of the game loomed. The first chance brought a great save out of Drench to deny Richardson what would have been a near perfect copy of his goal in the first half, while the second saw Nathan Neequaye hammer a shot against the post from close range.
Plenty of bluster was shown in the final few minutes from both sides but a match winning goal never materialised or even looked like doing, leaving Mossley to rue the lapse in concentration which turned three points into one.
Should we be happy with a point away to a team currently residing in the top six? Or should we be upset at only managing a draw against a side who played for seventy minutes with ten men and barely mounted any meaningful attacks?
From my own personal point of view it's the second reason which, while some of you may feel harsh, does at least show we're making progress. How so? Well who'd have thought we'd be coming away from the home of a side chasing promotion despairing at our failure to win? Not me for one and that fills me with a lot of hope for what may be to come.
I am left though with one question niggling away at the back of my mind and one you may be able to help me with. Despite all the managers and players that come and go at Mossley, why do we always struggle against ten men?
That's stumped you hasn't it? Suddenly finding an answer to the meaning of life seems simple in comparison doesn't it?
Hopefully the third meeting between the sides this season on Tuesday in the League Cup will provide something other than the rather staid 1-1 draws the two previous encounters have produced. And no, I'm not holding my breath either.
Mossley 4 - 0 Maine Road
The eagle eyed amongst you may notice that there aren't many differences between this report and the official one I've done which appears elsewhere. There are two reasons for this. First of all I'm feeling particularly lazy today and secondly... actually, I'm feeling so lazy I can't be bothered coming up with a second reason.
I did have one, something to do with there being video in the report, but for the life of me I can't remember what it was. Never mind, I'm pretty sure it wasn't that important.
And speaking of unimportant things, it's that time of the year again when the Manchester Premier Cup invades the fixture lists to the collective sound of “meh” from clubs and supporters; the levels of interest in embarking on the 'Road to Boundary Park' being so low that there isn't a device accurate enough to measure something so small yet. Finding the Higgs-Boson particle is as easy as picking your nose compared to discovering any enthusiasm people have for the MPC.
But we shouldn't get too snobby. After all it's a cup and when you're starved of having had something shiny and silver to polish in recent years, any is as good as the rest and Mossley moved a tiny step nearer to possibly laying claims to this one: four unanswered goals being more than enough to give them safe passage through to the next round.
The saying goes in football that the sign of a good team is one that wins when not playing up to the standards they themselves have set and this is certainly true to some extent of Mossley in the first forty minutes or so of this game.
They weren't playing badly, in fact they enjoyed plenty of the ball but it was their Vodkat League opponents who continually looked the more likely to do something constructive with it during their spells in possession. And by the time the Lilywhites had managed their first shot on target in the 39th minute the visitors could, and some may say should, have been two goals in front.
A one handed save at full stretch from Peter Collinge stopped Steve Cheetham putting Maine Road ahead in the 22nd minute, but the keeper could only stand and watch as Danny Self wasted his sides best opportunity five minutes later; the ex-Mossley winger, unmarked on the edge of the six-yard box, glancing a weak header wide of the upright.
But then came that first shot from the home side and with the assistance of a bit of luck, the lead too. Whether Matty Kay's strike would have found the back of the net had it not been for a wicked deflection off a defender is debatable but no-one could begrudge him claiming it as his tenth goal of the season.
A clearance off the line stopped Maine Road levelling the game just before the interval but a more determined and sharper looking Mossley side emerged from the dressing room after the break – no doubt with a bit of a ticking off ringing in their ears. And within three minutes of the restart they'd done enough to seal the win.
Like the first goal, the second of the night got a final touch off a Blues defender before crossing the line too. This time however its status as an own goal was unquestionable. Under pressure from Steve Moore, Lee McGregor's attempts to deal with a cross ended with him shinning the ball powerfully past his own keeper from twelve yards and into the top right hand corner of the net. A little over sixty seconds later two became three when Andy Watson headed home Karl Brown's inswinging corner to register his first goal for the club.
Over the remainder of the match Mossley continued to press forward in search of more goals and such was their dominance there could have easily doubled their final total. They were only able to add one more though; Nathan Neequaye guiding home fellow substitute Lee Blackshaw's cross four minutes from time.
In the end the score line may be a touch harsh on Maine Road given their first half performance. But it's also one that's hard to argue the Lilywhites didn't deserve after a commanding second half display that ensured their unbeaten run stretched to eight games.
The result may be a touch harsh on Maine Road but it's one that a testament to Mossley's recent improved form; emphatically winning a game that not so long ago they would probably have stumbled to defeat in.
Anyway, I mentioned video way back at the beginning of the post and here it is. It's slightly different to the other clips I've posted over the last year as they aren't highlights – just the goals. So what you lose in action is more than made up for by the fact it's short and consists only of good things.*
Can we keep this splendiferous run of form going when we resume league duties on Saturday at Leigh? Who knows but fingers crossed, eh?
* I was tempted to add a comment here 'saying just like me!' but I'm far too modest...
I did have one, something to do with there being video in the report, but for the life of me I can't remember what it was. Never mind, I'm pretty sure it wasn't that important.
And speaking of unimportant things, it's that time of the year again when the Manchester Premier Cup invades the fixture lists to the collective sound of “meh” from clubs and supporters; the levels of interest in embarking on the 'Road to Boundary Park' being so low that there isn't a device accurate enough to measure something so small yet. Finding the Higgs-Boson particle is as easy as picking your nose compared to discovering any enthusiasm people have for the MPC.
But we shouldn't get too snobby. After all it's a cup and when you're starved of having had something shiny and silver to polish in recent years, any is as good as the rest and Mossley moved a tiny step nearer to possibly laying claims to this one: four unanswered goals being more than enough to give them safe passage through to the next round.
The saying goes in football that the sign of a good team is one that wins when not playing up to the standards they themselves have set and this is certainly true to some extent of Mossley in the first forty minutes or so of this game.
They weren't playing badly, in fact they enjoyed plenty of the ball but it was their Vodkat League opponents who continually looked the more likely to do something constructive with it during their spells in possession. And by the time the Lilywhites had managed their first shot on target in the 39th minute the visitors could, and some may say should, have been two goals in front.
A one handed save at full stretch from Peter Collinge stopped Steve Cheetham putting Maine Road ahead in the 22nd minute, but the keeper could only stand and watch as Danny Self wasted his sides best opportunity five minutes later; the ex-Mossley winger, unmarked on the edge of the six-yard box, glancing a weak header wide of the upright.
But then came that first shot from the home side and with the assistance of a bit of luck, the lead too. Whether Matty Kay's strike would have found the back of the net had it not been for a wicked deflection off a defender is debatable but no-one could begrudge him claiming it as his tenth goal of the season.
A clearance off the line stopped Maine Road levelling the game just before the interval but a more determined and sharper looking Mossley side emerged from the dressing room after the break – no doubt with a bit of a ticking off ringing in their ears. And within three minutes of the restart they'd done enough to seal the win.
Like the first goal, the second of the night got a final touch off a Blues defender before crossing the line too. This time however its status as an own goal was unquestionable. Under pressure from Steve Moore, Lee McGregor's attempts to deal with a cross ended with him shinning the ball powerfully past his own keeper from twelve yards and into the top right hand corner of the net. A little over sixty seconds later two became three when Andy Watson headed home Karl Brown's inswinging corner to register his first goal for the club.
Over the remainder of the match Mossley continued to press forward in search of more goals and such was their dominance there could have easily doubled their final total. They were only able to add one more though; Nathan Neequaye guiding home fellow substitute Lee Blackshaw's cross four minutes from time.
In the end the score line may be a touch harsh on Maine Road given their first half performance. But it's also one that's hard to argue the Lilywhites didn't deserve after a commanding second half display that ensured their unbeaten run stretched to eight games.
The result may be a touch harsh on Maine Road but it's one that a testament to Mossley's recent improved form; emphatically winning a game that not so long ago they would probably have stumbled to defeat in.
Anyway, I mentioned video way back at the beginning of the post and here it is. It's slightly different to the other clips I've posted over the last year as they aren't highlights – just the goals. So what you lose in action is more than made up for by the fact it's short and consists only of good things.*
Can we keep this splendiferous run of form going when we resume league duties on Saturday at Leigh? Who knows but fingers crossed, eh?
* I was tempted to add a comment here 'saying just like me!' but I'm far too modest...
Spalding United 1 - 3 Mossley
Good news everyone! This seasons trip to Skelemersdale's state of
The reason as to why being even better news - that on the day we were due to make the journey along the M58 to that miserable hole on the edge of an industrial estate, we'll instead be playing in the Second Qualifying Round of the FA Trophy.
That we are is thanks to two goals from Matty Kay and one from Steve Settle which were enough overcome the threat posed by our Unibond First Division South opponents, Spalding United. And I'm afraid that that's the sum of my knowledge about Mossley's victory in deepest, darkest, tulipy Lincolnshire. If you wish to know more than I suggest looking here as it's likely to be the only place where you'll find a proper run down of events.
The one 'live report' I did hear was that it wasn't a very good game. But when you haven't made a five hour round trip to watch it like me you don't really care as long as the result is a great one - and that it was.
What was I doing while Mossley were apparently easing to a comfortable victory 120 or so miles thataway? Well I was watching Role Models before turning to Soccer Saturday on Sky Sports and coming to the conclusion that it may be one of the worst programmes on television.
I know this is a view that's tantamount to heresy in the world of football (and it's something I may go into at greater length someday) but take Jeff Stelling out of the equation and what you're left with is drama school histrionics from people who can barely string coherent two sentences together. Or one sentence in the case of Paul Merson.
Anyway, next up for the Lilywhites and, all being well, this blog is the midweek Manchester Premier Cup game against Maine Road; the chance to put those dreams of a day out at Wembley aside and fantasise about the possibility a cold night out in May again at Boundary Park.
Goals. Juddering, Stuttering Goals
As promised a little over 24 hours ago, the goals from the Lancaster City match presented in glorious 256 colour, 8-bit jerky-o-vision.
To view them just click on the images and the footage will open in a new tab (or a new window if you're still mad enough to be using Internet Explorer 6). There's also audio that accompanies the clips and instructions on how to the marry the two will be beneath the animations.
So enjoy. If you can...
To view them just click on the images and the footage will open in a new tab (or a new window if you're still mad enough to be using Internet Explorer 6). There's also audio that accompanies the clips and instructions on how to the marry the two will be beneath the animations.
So enjoy. If you can...
Mossley 4 - 1 Lancaster City
The best performance of the season.
Quite a dramatic way to start a match report I'm sure you'll agree but it's a statement that is true. We might have knocked three unanswered goals past Harrogate, five past Bedworth and given Trafford a bit of a pummelling but what made this game different is that Lancaster are a good side.
Having already been beaten by the Dolly Blues at Seel Park this season, and with the visitors coming into the game on the back of a 7-1 routing of Woodley Sports at the weekend, there were some doubts on the terraces before the match as to whether Mossley could keep their run of good form – five games unbeaten – going.
I'll hold my hands up here and freely admit that I was one of the naysayers. Being a pessimist I really couldn't see us getting a win. Instead I foresaw a dull game stretching into thirty minutes of unwelcome extra-time, before a lengthy penalty shoot-out declared Lancaster the winners and football the loser. But, unlike a lot of people, I'm more than happy to be proved hopelessly wrong and not for the first time I was.
Ignore the bleatings of some City supporters on their own forum, the ludicrous report in the Lancaster Guardian which called Mossley 'workmanlike': meaningless cup and a few rested players or not - they were well beaten. And in some ways quite fortunate that they weren't beaten by more.
While it's true that Lancaster could have been two goals up at the break as one poster on the aforementioned message board has stated, it gloriously ignores the fact that Mossley could have been not two but three or four up by the time it came for the players to troop off and suck on some orange slices. Or in the case of the visitors, possibly some lemons given the sourness and bitterness they exuded in the second half – I've never seen a team, or to be more exact a defence, whine so much.
The eventual outcome of the game never looked to be in any doubt once Steve Settle gave the home side a 40th minute lead. Prior to it though the game was balanced like a see-saw ridden by two equally porky kids.
The Lilywhites were creating the majority of the chances but just as they'd done against Clitheroe in their previous game, the lack of an end product was giving their opponents goalkeeper, Neil Beesley, a trouble free time.
Lancaster on the other hand weren't posing quite as much of a threat but twice they almost took the lead following good passages of football; Mark Jackson somehow managed to miss an open net and hit the upright with a diving header, and Adam Farrell was denied by a stunning reaction save from Peter Collinge.
But then came Settle's strike which tipped the game in Mossley's favour; the former Leigh winger reacting the quickest to divert a Steve Moore effort across the line after it had rebounded off the underside of the crossbar. Moore did find the back of the net though straight after the interval, doubling the home sides lead with a venomous shot from close range.
The lead was halved almost immediately when Roger Sharrock netted for City but it failed to herald any kind of resurgence in the visitors. Instead it was Mossley who continued to press forward and the two goal advantage was soon restored when Graham Kay headed a Ben Richardson cross past Beesley. Twelve minutes later Kay's namesake Matty sealed the victory, and with it a place in the next round, with a shot from just outside the box.
In the closing stages of the game the Lilywhites had more chances to inflict further misery on their opponents but the winning margin remained at three, mainly due to the sole efforts of Beesley as his defence crumbled in front of him.
I know that I've omitted quite a bit of detail regarding the goals but why paint a picture with a thousand words when you can just look at that picture? Or rather a couple of hundred of them shown sequentially at a rate of twenty four a second? Because that's what you'll – hopefully – be able to do at some point over the next couple of days.
It's not going to be high quality footage but after the 'successful' trial (a conclusion arrived at simply because there was no moaning) in the Radcliffe cup game a few weeks ago, I'm going to convert the footage of the goals into animated gifs and put them online. You can thank me later... or more than likely not at all! (And they're here if you want to see them.)
Whatever the pros and cons are of the President's Cup (the latter being significantly greater in number than the former) , the opportunity for Mossley to register a good win over a good side and extend their lossless streak will undoubtedly give them a boost as they head to Spalding United in the FA Trophy this coming weekend.
And I say this with all due respect but it's hard to believe that this side is almost the same one that was struggling so badly a little over four weeks ago. A solid looking defence, a highly competitive midfield and a mobile forward line playing intelligent, attacking football – those long ball infested defeats to Salford and Lancaster seem almost sepia tinted.
I'll end though by saying I'm having second thoughts about that opening to this report. It seems a bit too final for me so I shall amend it a little:
The best performance of the season... so far!
Quite a dramatic way to start a match report I'm sure you'll agree but it's a statement that is true. We might have knocked three unanswered goals past Harrogate, five past Bedworth and given Trafford a bit of a pummelling but what made this game different is that Lancaster are a good side.
Having already been beaten by the Dolly Blues at Seel Park this season, and with the visitors coming into the game on the back of a 7-1 routing of Woodley Sports at the weekend, there were some doubts on the terraces before the match as to whether Mossley could keep their run of good form – five games unbeaten – going.
I'll hold my hands up here and freely admit that I was one of the naysayers. Being a pessimist I really couldn't see us getting a win. Instead I foresaw a dull game stretching into thirty minutes of unwelcome extra-time, before a lengthy penalty shoot-out declared Lancaster the winners and football the loser. But, unlike a lot of people, I'm more than happy to be proved hopelessly wrong and not for the first time I was.
Ignore the bleatings of some City supporters on their own forum, the ludicrous report in the Lancaster Guardian which called Mossley 'workmanlike': meaningless cup and a few rested players or not - they were well beaten. And in some ways quite fortunate that they weren't beaten by more.
While it's true that Lancaster could have been two goals up at the break as one poster on the aforementioned message board has stated, it gloriously ignores the fact that Mossley could have been not two but three or four up by the time it came for the players to troop off and suck on some orange slices. Or in the case of the visitors, possibly some lemons given the sourness and bitterness they exuded in the second half – I've never seen a team, or to be more exact a defence, whine so much.
The eventual outcome of the game never looked to be in any doubt once Steve Settle gave the home side a 40th minute lead. Prior to it though the game was balanced like a see-saw ridden by two equally porky kids.
The Lilywhites were creating the majority of the chances but just as they'd done against Clitheroe in their previous game, the lack of an end product was giving their opponents goalkeeper, Neil Beesley, a trouble free time.
Lancaster on the other hand weren't posing quite as much of a threat but twice they almost took the lead following good passages of football; Mark Jackson somehow managed to miss an open net and hit the upright with a diving header, and Adam Farrell was denied by a stunning reaction save from Peter Collinge.
But then came Settle's strike which tipped the game in Mossley's favour; the former Leigh winger reacting the quickest to divert a Steve Moore effort across the line after it had rebounded off the underside of the crossbar. Moore did find the back of the net though straight after the interval, doubling the home sides lead with a venomous shot from close range.
The lead was halved almost immediately when Roger Sharrock netted for City but it failed to herald any kind of resurgence in the visitors. Instead it was Mossley who continued to press forward and the two goal advantage was soon restored when Graham Kay headed a Ben Richardson cross past Beesley. Twelve minutes later Kay's namesake Matty sealed the victory, and with it a place in the next round, with a shot from just outside the box.
In the closing stages of the game the Lilywhites had more chances to inflict further misery on their opponents but the winning margin remained at three, mainly due to the sole efforts of Beesley as his defence crumbled in front of him.
I know that I've omitted quite a bit of detail regarding the goals but why paint a picture with a thousand words when you can just look at that picture? Or rather a couple of hundred of them shown sequentially at a rate of twenty four a second? Because that's what you'll – hopefully – be able to do at some point over the next couple of days.
It's not going to be high quality footage but after the 'successful' trial (a conclusion arrived at simply because there was no moaning) in the Radcliffe cup game a few weeks ago, I'm going to convert the footage of the goals into animated gifs and put them online. You can thank me later... or more than likely not at all! (And they're here if you want to see them.)
Whatever the pros and cons are of the President's Cup (the latter being significantly greater in number than the former) , the opportunity for Mossley to register a good win over a good side and extend their lossless streak will undoubtedly give them a boost as they head to Spalding United in the FA Trophy this coming weekend.
And I say this with all due respect but it's hard to believe that this side is almost the same one that was struggling so badly a little over four weeks ago. A solid looking defence, a highly competitive midfield and a mobile forward line playing intelligent, attacking football – those long ball infested defeats to Salford and Lancaster seem almost sepia tinted.
I'll end though by saying I'm having second thoughts about that opening to this report. It seems a bit too final for me so I shall amend it a little:
The best performance of the season... so far!
Clitheroe 0 - 0 Mossley
If you've read the report on the game that's in the Non-League Paper you're probably thinking that I should be ecstatic with a point rather than just happy, seeing as it paints a picture of a match in which the home side fashioned considerably more chances than the plucky visitors.
What it skilfully neglects to say is that the game should have been done and dusted as a contest in the opening thirty minutes because during that time frame Clitheroe barely got out of their own half; they simply weren't allowed to by a Mossley side firing on all cylinders. Well... all but one.
You see, not only was this Mossley at their best, it was the Lilywhites at their most frustrating too. A solid defence and fast attacking football ultimately let down by the final ball; be it an over hit cross or a shot that was dawdled on for too long. Wonderful and hair tearing in equal measure.
The Pavlovian reaction to a missed opportunity in football - a cry of “ohhhhh!” and the placing of hands on the head - was one the travelling contingent of supporters displayed many times during that opening third to the game. It was almost agonising as the Lilywhites went so near on numerous occasions to taking the lead, yet in doing so remained so far away too.
You didn't have to possess incredible powers of foresight to know that Clitheroe would eventually force their way into the game and they did so with two shots that Peter Collinge did fantastically well to stop and hold. Mossley responded with a quick break that finished with Steve Moore rather tamely shooting into the arms of goalkeeper Danny Hanford, who was called into action again moments later to tip an inswinging corner from Karl Brown onto the cross bar.
It was these incidents within a few minutes of each other which set the pattern for the remainder of the game. Shots were cleared off the line, goalkeepers flew through the air, crosses rolled across the face of goal just millimetres beyond the reach the outstretched legs of inrushing forwards: it was exciting end to end football.
Actually I should qualify that statement. It was exciting when the team you supported was on the attack. When they were on the receiving end of one it was more than a little nerve shredding. The sensations heightened in the closing moments of the match during which both sides had a host of opportunities to win the game; the visitors thwarted by Hanford, the home side by their lack of accuracy.
Going back to the Non-League Paper though, it also states that the home side should have had a penalty and they should have done... if an incident had actually occurred in which one was merited but there wasn't. What the report was alluding to was a tackle by Graham Kay midway through the second half in which he clearly won the ball before the attacker fell over his leg.
If there's any sense of injustice at a decision in the game it's Mossley who should be feeling it. With ten minutes of the game gone Steve Moore was brought down from behind just outside the box. Given that the person doing the bringing down was the last man and denying a goal scoring opportunity as well, it was assumed that not only would a free-kick be forthcoming but that we'd see red card waved in the direction of Liam McManus too. And what followed was a lesson in why assumptions are useless in this particular sport.
The free-kick was awarded but rather astonishingly there was no dismissal - not even a yellow card or a "don't do that again" talking to from the referee. Even the Clitheroe players looked shocked that they weren't having to make plans to play eighty minutes with ten men.
What it did though was set the tone for a string of bizarre decisions (that benefited both sides) over the course of the game from the man in the middle. And never has that term ever been so applicable to a referee because only at set-pieces did he ever seem to leave the central third of the pitch; it really was just one step up from the match being officiated from a deck chair by the centre spot.
As close and as even as the game was by the sound of the final whistle, it was one Mossley should really have won in that opening thirty minute spell; allowing us to spend the final hour of the game with our metaphorical slippers on, reading a metaphorical paper from the comfort an even more figurative armchair, safe in the knowledge that all three points available were ours.
That said however I'm still happy with a point. Why? Not sure really... I think it may be the prescribed medication kicking in!
Seriously though, a point in a fixture which is notorious for unpredictable results and a sense of being hard done by is good enough for me. More so because it shows we're improving as this was exactly the kind of game we'd have probably lost a month ago. You know, way back in the dim and distant days of early September when it looked we'd concede a goal if the opposition as much as glanced at our half of the pitch.
It's also pleasing to note that an ex-player didn't come back to haunt us. Then again as that ex-player was Gavin Lee Ellison, a player jostling with Fraser Robinson and Neil Brisco for a certain special spot in the pantheon of recent Mossley greats, it's maybe not that altogether surprising.
All things considered then, not a bad day at all. Good game of football, fifth match unbeaten, another clean sheet, weather not too bad and a decent atmosphere. Even though the latter was almost ruined by the presence of someone who still believes that sounding an air horn when the ball is kicked is the height of terrace wit and a valuable psychological tool. Whereas what it actually does is make everyone else wonder if it would make the same sound if it got inserted somewhere, preferably sideways.
For a week and a bit though we can at least forget about the trials and tribulations of league football and concentrate on three cup competitions. Whether or not the importance of them can be boiled to ‘only one really mattering’, it would be nice to be able start a report in a fortnight’s time mentioning our eight game unbeaten run.
Then again, even if results went against us, I’m sure the Non-League Paper wouldn’t mind if we did.
What it skilfully neglects to say is that the game should have been done and dusted as a contest in the opening thirty minutes because during that time frame Clitheroe barely got out of their own half; they simply weren't allowed to by a Mossley side firing on all cylinders. Well... all but one.
You see, not only was this Mossley at their best, it was the Lilywhites at their most frustrating too. A solid defence and fast attacking football ultimately let down by the final ball; be it an over hit cross or a shot that was dawdled on for too long. Wonderful and hair tearing in equal measure.
The Pavlovian reaction to a missed opportunity in football - a cry of “ohhhhh!” and the placing of hands on the head - was one the travelling contingent of supporters displayed many times during that opening third to the game. It was almost agonising as the Lilywhites went so near on numerous occasions to taking the lead, yet in doing so remained so far away too.
You didn't have to possess incredible powers of foresight to know that Clitheroe would eventually force their way into the game and they did so with two shots that Peter Collinge did fantastically well to stop and hold. Mossley responded with a quick break that finished with Steve Moore rather tamely shooting into the arms of goalkeeper Danny Hanford, who was called into action again moments later to tip an inswinging corner from Karl Brown onto the cross bar.
It was these incidents within a few minutes of each other which set the pattern for the remainder of the game. Shots were cleared off the line, goalkeepers flew through the air, crosses rolled across the face of goal just millimetres beyond the reach the outstretched legs of inrushing forwards: it was exciting end to end football.
Actually I should qualify that statement. It was exciting when the team you supported was on the attack. When they were on the receiving end of one it was more than a little nerve shredding. The sensations heightened in the closing moments of the match during which both sides had a host of opportunities to win the game; the visitors thwarted by Hanford, the home side by their lack of accuracy.
Going back to the Non-League Paper though, it also states that the home side should have had a penalty and they should have done... if an incident had actually occurred in which one was merited but there wasn't. What the report was alluding to was a tackle by Graham Kay midway through the second half in which he clearly won the ball before the attacker fell over his leg.
If there's any sense of injustice at a decision in the game it's Mossley who should be feeling it. With ten minutes of the game gone Steve Moore was brought down from behind just outside the box. Given that the person doing the bringing down was the last man and denying a goal scoring opportunity as well, it was assumed that not only would a free-kick be forthcoming but that we'd see red card waved in the direction of Liam McManus too. And what followed was a lesson in why assumptions are useless in this particular sport.
The free-kick was awarded but rather astonishingly there was no dismissal - not even a yellow card or a "don't do that again" talking to from the referee. Even the Clitheroe players looked shocked that they weren't having to make plans to play eighty minutes with ten men.
What it did though was set the tone for a string of bizarre decisions (that benefited both sides) over the course of the game from the man in the middle. And never has that term ever been so applicable to a referee because only at set-pieces did he ever seem to leave the central third of the pitch; it really was just one step up from the match being officiated from a deck chair by the centre spot.
As close and as even as the game was by the sound of the final whistle, it was one Mossley should really have won in that opening thirty minute spell; allowing us to spend the final hour of the game with our metaphorical slippers on, reading a metaphorical paper from the comfort an even more figurative armchair, safe in the knowledge that all three points available were ours.
That said however I'm still happy with a point. Why? Not sure really... I think it may be the prescribed medication kicking in!
Seriously though, a point in a fixture which is notorious for unpredictable results and a sense of being hard done by is good enough for me. More so because it shows we're improving as this was exactly the kind of game we'd have probably lost a month ago. You know, way back in the dim and distant days of early September when it looked we'd concede a goal if the opposition as much as glanced at our half of the pitch.
It's also pleasing to note that an ex-player didn't come back to haunt us. Then again as that ex-player was Gavin Lee Ellison, a player jostling with Fraser Robinson and Neil Brisco for a certain special spot in the pantheon of recent Mossley greats, it's maybe not that altogether surprising.
All things considered then, not a bad day at all. Good game of football, fifth match unbeaten, another clean sheet, weather not too bad and a decent atmosphere. Even though the latter was almost ruined by the presence of someone who still believes that sounding an air horn when the ball is kicked is the height of terrace wit and a valuable psychological tool. Whereas what it actually does is make everyone else wonder if it would make the same sound if it got inserted somewhere, preferably sideways.
For a week and a bit though we can at least forget about the trials and tribulations of league football and concentrate on three cup competitions. Whether or not the importance of them can be boiled to ‘only one really mattering’, it would be nice to be able start a report in a fortnight’s time mentioning our eight game unbeaten run.
Then again, even if results went against us, I’m sure the Non-League Paper wouldn’t mind if we did.
Mossley 5 - 2 Bedworth United
The road to Wembley. It’s long and we may not get to the end of it but unlike our “who forgot to put the petrol in?” attempt to travel it in the FA Cup, we’re at least out of the drive way in the FA Trophy.
It was the visitors from the Zamaretto Midland Division though who made all the early running in this Preliminary Round match; the home side struggling to find the rhythm which had seen them win their previous three games. A task admittedly not entirely helped by the very strong wind they were having to play into.
I’d like to be able to tell you exactly how breezy it was but unfortunately Francis Beaufort forgot to include on his scale a category, between rustling branches and foamy waves, specifically for those moments when floodlight pylons appear to bend double.
When Mossley did finally get their bearings the reward was instantaneous. Nineteen minutes had elapsed when Karl Brown received Jordan Goodeve's quickly taken free-kick and fired a 20 yard shot past Paul Shepherd in the Bedworth goal to give the Lilywhites the lead.
As Mossley continued to pile on the pressure it looked like it would only be a matter of time before they found the net again and they did so seven minutes before the interval. A rare lull in the wind allowed Peter Collinge's long down field clearance to reach the edge of the Bedworth penalty area. With the visiting defence seemingly more interested in observing this event than dealing with it, Steve Moore was able to take control of the ball and though his initial shot was saved he forced the rebound over the line with a little assistance from the boot of Shepherd.
I use the term ‘little’ in the ‘a lot of’ sense of the word because Moore’s shot may well have sneaked wide if United’s keeper hadn’t diverted it over the line in slightly comical fashion.
The actuality of going two goals behind appeared to instil a bit of fight into the Warwickshire side and Mossley had Collinge to thank for the visitors returning to the dressing room at half-time goal less; the pick of his saves being a stop with his right leg after Fazel Koriya had been put clean through on goal.
Following the break Bedworth continued to pile forward in search of a way back into the game and after a couple of near misses they eventually halved the deficit – Matty Blair becoming the first player to find the back of the Lilywhites net in over six hours of football.
However, just when it looked like Mossley may be about to undergo one of their infamous 'wobbles' Moore restored the two goal advantage; the former Curzon player finishing a great move by curling the ball around the dive of Shepherd from the corner of the United box.
It was a goal though not without its controversy. An attempted substitution by the visitors didn’t go quite to plan as the replacement player was refused permission to take to the pitch until he’d removed the white cycling shorts he was wearing under his teams green ones. As exercises go a meaningless one as he was that small his shorts resembled long trousers and you could barely see his socks let alone any light coloured Lycra wear. It meant Bedworth were reduced to ten men until the next break in play which unfortunately for them, as you may have guessed by now, was the goal.
Substitute Steve Settle made it four when he broke clear of Bedworth's very loose approximation of what an offside trap should look like and he grabbed his second, and Mossley's fifth, not long after with a stooping header from a Ben Richardson cross.
A perfect example of a consolation goal arrived twelve minutes from time when Jason Moore added a second for the Greenbacks but the closing moments were played out with the home side looking to extend their lead further; something they came close to doing on more than one occasion as Andy Russell had a goal ruled out for offside and Sam Walker saw a wind assisted effort padded wide by Shepherd.
And here it is, the part you’ve skipped all those lovingly crafted words above to see: highlights from the game! Actually you’re not even reading this bit either are you? Sigh...
Plenty of credit to Bedworth though for continuing to press forward in search of goals, even when all hope was gone, but significantly more praise should be bestowed on a good performance from the Lilywhites. It took a bit for them to get going but, an interval straddling iffy period aside, the victory and the margin of it were well deserved.
I’m sure the £2000 the club receives for winning the tie will be made to feel loved and cherished, but more importantly we get another weekend break from the drudgery of league football and the chance to dream once more of maybe visiting an overpriced stadium built for the nation in north London in May. Even if it does mean going to Spalding in a little under a fortnights time.
And no, I won’t be twittering from that one.
It was the visitors from the Zamaretto Midland Division though who made all the early running in this Preliminary Round match; the home side struggling to find the rhythm which had seen them win their previous three games. A task admittedly not entirely helped by the very strong wind they were having to play into.
I’d like to be able to tell you exactly how breezy it was but unfortunately Francis Beaufort forgot to include on his scale a category, between rustling branches and foamy waves, specifically for those moments when floodlight pylons appear to bend double.
When Mossley did finally get their bearings the reward was instantaneous. Nineteen minutes had elapsed when Karl Brown received Jordan Goodeve's quickly taken free-kick and fired a 20 yard shot past Paul Shepherd in the Bedworth goal to give the Lilywhites the lead.
As Mossley continued to pile on the pressure it looked like it would only be a matter of time before they found the net again and they did so seven minutes before the interval. A rare lull in the wind allowed Peter Collinge's long down field clearance to reach the edge of the Bedworth penalty area. With the visiting defence seemingly more interested in observing this event than dealing with it, Steve Moore was able to take control of the ball and though his initial shot was saved he forced the rebound over the line with a little assistance from the boot of Shepherd.
I use the term ‘little’ in the ‘a lot of’ sense of the word because Moore’s shot may well have sneaked wide if United’s keeper hadn’t diverted it over the line in slightly comical fashion.
The actuality of going two goals behind appeared to instil a bit of fight into the Warwickshire side and Mossley had Collinge to thank for the visitors returning to the dressing room at half-time goal less; the pick of his saves being a stop with his right leg after Fazel Koriya had been put clean through on goal.
Following the break Bedworth continued to pile forward in search of a way back into the game and after a couple of near misses they eventually halved the deficit – Matty Blair becoming the first player to find the back of the Lilywhites net in over six hours of football.
However, just when it looked like Mossley may be about to undergo one of their infamous 'wobbles' Moore restored the two goal advantage; the former Curzon player finishing a great move by curling the ball around the dive of Shepherd from the corner of the United box.
It was a goal though not without its controversy. An attempted substitution by the visitors didn’t go quite to plan as the replacement player was refused permission to take to the pitch until he’d removed the white cycling shorts he was wearing under his teams green ones. As exercises go a meaningless one as he was that small his shorts resembled long trousers and you could barely see his socks let alone any light coloured Lycra wear. It meant Bedworth were reduced to ten men until the next break in play which unfortunately for them, as you may have guessed by now, was the goal.
Substitute Steve Settle made it four when he broke clear of Bedworth's very loose approximation of what an offside trap should look like and he grabbed his second, and Mossley's fifth, not long after with a stooping header from a Ben Richardson cross.
A perfect example of a consolation goal arrived twelve minutes from time when Jason Moore added a second for the Greenbacks but the closing moments were played out with the home side looking to extend their lead further; something they came close to doing on more than one occasion as Andy Russell had a goal ruled out for offside and Sam Walker saw a wind assisted effort padded wide by Shepherd.
And here it is, the part you’ve skipped all those lovingly crafted words above to see: highlights from the game! Actually you’re not even reading this bit either are you? Sigh...
Plenty of credit to Bedworth though for continuing to press forward in search of goals, even when all hope was gone, but significantly more praise should be bestowed on a good performance from the Lilywhites. It took a bit for them to get going but, an interval straddling iffy period aside, the victory and the margin of it were well deserved.
I’m sure the £2000 the club receives for winning the tie will be made to feel loved and cherished, but more importantly we get another weekend break from the drudgery of league football and the chance to dream once more of maybe visiting an overpriced stadium built for the nation in north London in May. Even if it does mean going to Spalding in a little under a fortnights time.
And no, I won’t be twittering from that one.
Mossley 2 - 0 Trafford
You know, I could get quite used to this winning malarkey.
After struggling over the first month of the season to add to that opening day win at Garforth, Mossley made it three – yes, three! THREE! - in a row with a hard fought (rather too literally at times) victory over Trafford at Seel Park.
Heady times indeed.
The opening period was a keenly contested affair during which Mossley controlled the majority of possession but couldn't find a finish to match some excellent approach play. Trafford on the other hand looked happy to soak up the pressure and try and use the pace of their wide men to hit their opponents on the break.
Both sides had chances to edge themselves in front. A Karl Brown free-kick was inches away from giving the Lilywhites the upper hand, while it took an excellent save from Peter Collinge to prevent Scott Barlow finding the back of the net for the visitors
The breakthrough finally came a minute before the half hour when Steve Moore's angled run towards goal was brought to a halt by Trafford defender Billy McCartney. Despite winning the ball cleanly the referee deemed the challenge from the former Mossley player an illegal one, the result of which was a penalty that Danny Egan calmly converted to give the home side the lead.
One quickly became two after Moore unexpectedly found the ball at his feet courtesy of a terrible clearance by Trafford keeper Tom Read. Taking a couple of touches to bring the gift fully under control and create space for the shot, he stroked the ball past Read to register his first goal in a Mossley shirt. And not only that but their first goal in open (non set-piece) play since Michael Jackson was still warm.
Sorry. Too soon?
It was at this point though a game which had been played in a '(very) hard but (mostly) fair' spirit suddenly boiled over into something a bit more unpleasant. Somewhat understandably the visitors began to get a bit frustrated at going two goals down but the way it manifested itself in some of their players was not for the faint hearted. Challenges became wild and reckless and that they managed to make it to the interval with eleven men on the pitch raised more than a few eyebrows.
Melford Knight in particular endeared himself to the supporters of the club he used to play for with a display you wouldn't normally associate with a team captain. After spending what seemed like a good three minutes arguing with the referee about an incredibly trivial incident as the game went on around them, he was fortunate to receive only a yellow card and not a straight red for an awful tackle.
There should have been less yellow and a touch more red in this picture.
He wasn't alone though and as the teams trooped from the pitch at the interval it was hard not to wonder how long it would be before a player was forced to make that walk alone under the very specific orders of the referee.
Ten minutes as it turned out.
That's the length of time that passed between the match restarting and Trafford's Shelton Payne being given the opportunity get off home a bit earlier than expected; a yellow card for a completely unnecessary tackle from behind next to a corner flag, immediately followed by similarly hued one for dissent.
Bizarrely the dismissal seemed to have a calming effect on the visitors and the rash tackles were replaced by some good passing football. And despite the disadvantage in numbers they actually looked for a lengthy period of time like the side most likely to score next. That they didn't was down to a combination of two things: some excellent defending from the Lilywhites and the same awkwardness in front of goal that Mossley themselves have displayed on numerous occasions this season.
As they began to throw more men forward in search of a way back into the game, gaps started to appear for Mossley to exploit and but for the width of a post and an offside flag the margin of victory would have been a lot more comprehensive.
Not that many associated with Mossley will complain though as the 2-0 score line gives them their first home league win of the campaign and brought to an end a week which has seen a sharp and welcome upturn in their fortunes.
Three consecutive wins. Three consecutive clean sheets. Three consecutive sentences with the word consecutive in it. Who'd have thought after the Salford game that such things would transpire over the course following eleven days?
If you answered “I did!” to that last question then I would like to take this opportunity to point out your pants are on fire and that your nose is longer than a telephone wire.
But that's football isn't it? It's not a game designed for people who are allergic to surprises or who hate having their sanity slowly chipped away at. It's there for us masochists to get whatever pleasure we can out of the extreme highs and lows it puts us through before it finally sees us off.
After struggling over the first month of the season to add to that opening day win at Garforth, Mossley made it three – yes, three! THREE! - in a row with a hard fought (rather too literally at times) victory over Trafford at Seel Park.
Heady times indeed.
The opening period was a keenly contested affair during which Mossley controlled the majority of possession but couldn't find a finish to match some excellent approach play. Trafford on the other hand looked happy to soak up the pressure and try and use the pace of their wide men to hit their opponents on the break.
Both sides had chances to edge themselves in front. A Karl Brown free-kick was inches away from giving the Lilywhites the upper hand, while it took an excellent save from Peter Collinge to prevent Scott Barlow finding the back of the net for the visitors
The breakthrough finally came a minute before the half hour when Steve Moore's angled run towards goal was brought to a halt by Trafford defender Billy McCartney. Despite winning the ball cleanly the referee deemed the challenge from the former Mossley player an illegal one, the result of which was a penalty that Danny Egan calmly converted to give the home side the lead.
One quickly became two after Moore unexpectedly found the ball at his feet courtesy of a terrible clearance by Trafford keeper Tom Read. Taking a couple of touches to bring the gift fully under control and create space for the shot, he stroked the ball past Read to register his first goal in a Mossley shirt. And not only that but their first goal in open (non set-piece) play since Michael Jackson was still warm.
Sorry. Too soon?
It was at this point though a game which had been played in a '(very) hard but (mostly) fair' spirit suddenly boiled over into something a bit more unpleasant. Somewhat understandably the visitors began to get a bit frustrated at going two goals down but the way it manifested itself in some of their players was not for the faint hearted. Challenges became wild and reckless and that they managed to make it to the interval with eleven men on the pitch raised more than a few eyebrows.
Melford Knight in particular endeared himself to the supporters of the club he used to play for with a display you wouldn't normally associate with a team captain. After spending what seemed like a good three minutes arguing with the referee about an incredibly trivial incident as the game went on around them, he was fortunate to receive only a yellow card and not a straight red for an awful tackle.
He wasn't alone though and as the teams trooped from the pitch at the interval it was hard not to wonder how long it would be before a player was forced to make that walk alone under the very specific orders of the referee.
Ten minutes as it turned out.
That's the length of time that passed between the match restarting and Trafford's Shelton Payne being given the opportunity get off home a bit earlier than expected; a yellow card for a completely unnecessary tackle from behind next to a corner flag, immediately followed by similarly hued one for dissent.
Bizarrely the dismissal seemed to have a calming effect on the visitors and the rash tackles were replaced by some good passing football. And despite the disadvantage in numbers they actually looked for a lengthy period of time like the side most likely to score next. That they didn't was down to a combination of two things: some excellent defending from the Lilywhites and the same awkwardness in front of goal that Mossley themselves have displayed on numerous occasions this season.
As they began to throw more men forward in search of a way back into the game, gaps started to appear for Mossley to exploit and but for the width of a post and an offside flag the margin of victory would have been a lot more comprehensive.
Not that many associated with Mossley will complain though as the 2-0 score line gives them their first home league win of the campaign and brought to an end a week which has seen a sharp and welcome upturn in their fortunes.
Three consecutive wins. Three consecutive clean sheets. Three consecutive sentences with the word consecutive in it. Who'd have thought after the Salford game that such things would transpire over the course following eleven days?
If you answered “I did!” to that last question then I would like to take this opportunity to point out your pants are on fire and that your nose is longer than a telephone wire.
But that's football isn't it? It's not a game designed for people who are allergic to surprises or who hate having their sanity slowly chipped away at. It's there for us masochists to get whatever pleasure we can out of the extreme highs and lows it puts us through before it finally sees us off.
Harrogate R.A. 0 - 3 Mossley
Our first league victory since the opening day of the season... our second consecutive win in all competitions... we scored more than one goal... excuse me, I'm feeling a little dizzy...
thud!
Several hours later...
I'm sorry, I think I must have fainted there with the shock of it all. Goodness knows what state I would have been in had I been at Station View to witness it happen live.
And that last sentence should be a big clue as to why this posting on the blog contains no report on Mossley's trip to North Yorkshire. If you wish to read about what took place on Harrogate's sloping pitch on the afternoon of September the 27th 2009, then I suggest you click on the following link to read the official Lilywhites match report.
If, however, you just want the basic facts: Mossley won with three second half goals from Karl Brown, a Railway defender and Matty Kay. There was a couple of bookings, a bit of shouting and one or two people probably swore.
What more could you possibly want to know?
thud!
Several hours later...
I'm sorry, I think I must have fainted there with the shock of it all. Goodness knows what state I would have been in had I been at Station View to witness it happen live.
And that last sentence should be a big clue as to why this posting on the blog contains no report on Mossley's trip to North Yorkshire. If you wish to read about what took place on Harrogate's sloping pitch on the afternoon of September the 27th 2009, then I suggest you click on the following link to read the official Lilywhites match report.
If, however, you just want the basic facts: Mossley won with three second half goals from Karl Brown, a Railway defender and Matty Kay. There was a couple of bookings, a bit of shouting and one or two people probably swore.
What more could you possibly want to know?
Mossley 1 - 0 Radcliffe Borough
Hold on to your hats everyone - we won!
Yes, after ten unsuccessful attempts to outscore their opponents since the opening day of the season at Garforth, the smell of a Mossley victory fills the air once more. And not only was it a welcome result, it was a thoroughly merited one too; even if the team did leave it to the last possible moment to claim it.
It took nearly two hours of football on the night for it to happen but Matty Kay's goal in the final minute of extra-time (his fifth of the season) was enough to separate Mossley and Radcliffe in a closely fought Unibond League Cup encounter at Seel Park.
Actually closely is probably the wrong word to use. While it's true that the result balanced precariously on a knife edge until those final few seconds, as most 0-0 games tend to do, the declaration of the home side as victors should have come a lot sooner. Like I said not two paragraphs ago, it was a win that was more than deserved but Mossley being Mossley we didn't half make hard work of it.
For the first time this season, at least in the games I've seen anyway, the Lilywhites were creating an awful lot of chances with a significant proportion of them being good ones too. Unfortunately (didn't you just know that was going to be the first word of the next sentence) the finishing touches weren't quite up to the same level as some of the moves they were stemming from.
In fact, despite the number of “oohs” and “aahs” that were coming from the home support as another attack ended up resulting in a goal kick, Borough keeper Lloyd Rigby wasn't having a lot to do other than observe a succession of chances fly narrowly wide of the goal frame he was protecting or, as in the case of a diving header from Matty Kay towards the end of the first half, crash against it.
He was finally called on to make a save, and a good one at that, just after the interval when Danny Egan broke clear of the visitors back line but it was a rare effort on target.
All this isn't to say that the visitors didn't have any chances of their own – they did, more than a couple in fact; just not as many as their hosts and with an even lesser degree of accuracy.
Mossley continued to look the side 'most likely' when the game moved into extra-time. There was a wobble when Egan talked himself into being shown a straight card, but it was brief and ten man Mossley continued to hold the upper hand. That winning goal though was still proving elusive.
However, with a penalty shoot-out looming large (which given the standard of finishing on the night was a frightening prospect for those supporters who wanted to see the game concluded before sunrise) the final act of the game took place.
It began with the number of players on the pitch being reduced by one more - Borough centre half Sean Connor receiving a second yellow card for a late tackle on Sam Walker. The free kick resulting from the incident was headed behind for a corner which Karl Brown swung into the box as the match entered its 119th minute. Out of the herd of players crowded in the box, Matty Kay rose the highest and planted a header powerfully past substitute keeper Joe Brobbin - sparking the kind of celebrations you don't normally expect to see in the first round of the Unibond League Cup.
All told this was the kind of performance that we haven't seen (and been crying out for) from the Lilywhites since the pre-season friendlies. There was a visible drive and determination amongst all the players, rather than appearing to be confined to just the odd few, and this may just be an amazing coincidence but this, our best display of the campaign so far, came during a game in which the ball spent more time on the grass than pinging through the air.
It wasn't perfect (a fair bit of finishing left a lot to be desired and the occasional yawning gap at the back went thankfully unexploited) but when a last minute goal wins you the game two hours after it started it's surprising how much you're willing to forgive.
It may not have been a classic but we played well and we won. And after the start we've had I'm more than happy with that.
Having forgotten to pick up my just charged camera battery as I left the house to come to the game, I had to make an incredibly inferior third party one last a couple of hours which meant that I missed most of the chances that took place.
By a stroke of luck though I decided to use what little power was left in it to film the last corner of the match as I knew it wouldn't make it through the impending penalty shoot-out. And as a consequence I have captured Mossley's late winner for posterity.
However, because the league have dictated that video footage of matches can only be placed on the internet via their official web partners, and not sites like YouTube in case the reputation of the Unibond League or their sponsors gets damaged (it's certainly nothing to do with money - no siree and shame on you for thing such a thing), I can't show you it.
Well, actually I can.
Rather than proper video footage I can bring you the goal in the form of an animated gif. The quality is nowhere close to being as good as that of a regular video clip but it's the only way I can put it on the blog. There's no sound either but there's a way round that too. So if you want to hear what happened as well, press play on the audio bar beneath the animation when Karl Brown places the ball down on the ground for the corner.
I admit it's not as good as watching a proper video of the incident but until the league change their ridiculous and self-defeating ruling regarding them, this Heath-Robinson approach is the best I can do I'm afraid.
What's the phrase... “It's better than nothing!”
It would be remiss of me before I finish this report not to wish Ben Richardson a speedy recovery after being stretchered off in the first 'second half' of the game. I've no doubt every one at the ground who witnessed the challenge will have an opinion on it but to me his injury was the result of a clumsy tackle rather than anything malicious. One of those incidents where ninety nine times out of a hundred nothing would have happened. Anyway, get well soon.
Yes, after ten unsuccessful attempts to outscore their opponents since the opening day of the season at Garforth, the smell of a Mossley victory fills the air once more. And not only was it a welcome result, it was a thoroughly merited one too; even if the team did leave it to the last possible moment to claim it.
It took nearly two hours of football on the night for it to happen but Matty Kay's goal in the final minute of extra-time (his fifth of the season) was enough to separate Mossley and Radcliffe in a closely fought Unibond League Cup encounter at Seel Park.
Actually closely is probably the wrong word to use. While it's true that the result balanced precariously on a knife edge until those final few seconds, as most 0-0 games tend to do, the declaration of the home side as victors should have come a lot sooner. Like I said not two paragraphs ago, it was a win that was more than deserved but Mossley being Mossley we didn't half make hard work of it.
For the first time this season, at least in the games I've seen anyway, the Lilywhites were creating an awful lot of chances with a significant proportion of them being good ones too. Unfortunately (didn't you just know that was going to be the first word of the next sentence) the finishing touches weren't quite up to the same level as some of the moves they were stemming from.
In fact, despite the number of “oohs” and “aahs” that were coming from the home support as another attack ended up resulting in a goal kick, Borough keeper Lloyd Rigby wasn't having a lot to do other than observe a succession of chances fly narrowly wide of the goal frame he was protecting or, as in the case of a diving header from Matty Kay towards the end of the first half, crash against it.
He was finally called on to make a save, and a good one at that, just after the interval when Danny Egan broke clear of the visitors back line but it was a rare effort on target.
All this isn't to say that the visitors didn't have any chances of their own – they did, more than a couple in fact; just not as many as their hosts and with an even lesser degree of accuracy.
Mossley continued to look the side 'most likely' when the game moved into extra-time. There was a wobble when Egan talked himself into being shown a straight card, but it was brief and ten man Mossley continued to hold the upper hand. That winning goal though was still proving elusive.
However, with a penalty shoot-out looming large (which given the standard of finishing on the night was a frightening prospect for those supporters who wanted to see the game concluded before sunrise) the final act of the game took place.
It began with the number of players on the pitch being reduced by one more - Borough centre half Sean Connor receiving a second yellow card for a late tackle on Sam Walker. The free kick resulting from the incident was headed behind for a corner which Karl Brown swung into the box as the match entered its 119th minute. Out of the herd of players crowded in the box, Matty Kay rose the highest and planted a header powerfully past substitute keeper Joe Brobbin - sparking the kind of celebrations you don't normally expect to see in the first round of the Unibond League Cup.
All told this was the kind of performance that we haven't seen (and been crying out for) from the Lilywhites since the pre-season friendlies. There was a visible drive and determination amongst all the players, rather than appearing to be confined to just the odd few, and this may just be an amazing coincidence but this, our best display of the campaign so far, came during a game in which the ball spent more time on the grass than pinging through the air.
It wasn't perfect (a fair bit of finishing left a lot to be desired and the occasional yawning gap at the back went thankfully unexploited) but when a last minute goal wins you the game two hours after it started it's surprising how much you're willing to forgive.
It may not have been a classic but we played well and we won. And after the start we've had I'm more than happy with that.
Having forgotten to pick up my just charged camera battery as I left the house to come to the game, I had to make an incredibly inferior third party one last a couple of hours which meant that I missed most of the chances that took place.
By a stroke of luck though I decided to use what little power was left in it to film the last corner of the match as I knew it wouldn't make it through the impending penalty shoot-out. And as a consequence I have captured Mossley's late winner for posterity.
However, because the league have dictated that video footage of matches can only be placed on the internet via their official web partners, and not sites like YouTube in case the reputation of the Unibond League or their sponsors gets damaged (it's certainly nothing to do with money - no siree and shame on you for thing such a thing), I can't show you it.
Well, actually I can.
Rather than proper video footage I can bring you the goal in the form of an animated gif. The quality is nowhere close to being as good as that of a regular video clip but it's the only way I can put it on the blog. There's no sound either but there's a way round that too. So if you want to hear what happened as well, press play on the audio bar beneath the animation when Karl Brown places the ball down on the ground for the corner.
I admit it's not as good as watching a proper video of the incident but until the league change their ridiculous and self-defeating ruling regarding them, this Heath-Robinson approach is the best I can do I'm afraid.
What's the phrase... “It's better than nothing!”
It would be remiss of me before I finish this report not to wish Ben Richardson a speedy recovery after being stretchered off in the first 'second half' of the game. I've no doubt every one at the ground who witnessed the challenge will have an opinion on it but to me his injury was the result of a clumsy tackle rather than anything malicious. One of those incidents where ninety nine times out of a hundred nothing would have happened. Anyway, get well soon.
Mossley 0 - 1 Salford City
There's a popular saying that states lightning never strikes the same place twice. Unlike most adages though which are built on a modicum of truth, the wisdom this particular one contains is nothing but a myth.
Scientists have spent hundreds, thousands and, likely, millions of pounds proving it to be false, yet they could have got the same result for the measly outlay of £14 - that's all it would have cost them to watch Mossley's last two home league games with Salford.
For the second year in succession The Ammies arrived at Seel Park still searching for their first win of the season and for the second successive year they left with it. The only difference this time being that they they claimed their points of the campaign too and all they needed was a solitary goal.
Its arrival eighteen minutes into the match was the result of a rare moment of quality on what was otherwise a poor afternoon for good football. A slide rule pass sent Adam Morning scampering away down the left wing and after beating Andy Watson not once but twice, the former Mossley winger fired over a cross which was met at full stretch by the head of another ex-Lilywhite, Rhodri Giggs, who directed the ball beyond the reach of Peter Collinge.
A few minutes later a shot by Danny Egan forced Andy Robertson into palming the ball over his crossbar, but other than a couple of half chances that flashed across the face of goal, that was best opportunity Mossley could muster in response to going behind during the opening period.
In fact the Lilywhites were fortunate they weren't facing an even bigger deficit to overcome at the start of the second half after Carl Ruffer grazed the post with an unmarked header from close range just before the interval.
From a Mossley perspective what followed after the break was marginally better than what had preceded it but it still fell some distance short of being enough to rescue the game.
Eight minutes into it Egan once again tested Robertson, this time with a shot from distance that the keeper fumbled, rather than pushed, away for a corner. Over the remainder of the match though Mossley were only able to carve out one more real opening and it came with quarter of an hour left.
Substitute Rob Crank played the ball into the path wing back Ben Richardson and his cross fizzed along the edge of the six yard box to Egan. The forward though, probably not realising just how much time and space he had, swung wildly at the ball and spooned his shot high over the cross bar.
The visitors had the chance to seal the points during a goalmouth scramble in which three shots were blocked in quick succession but a second goal proved unnecessary as Mossley continued to flail, much as they've done all season, in the attacking third of the pitch. The closing stages playing out with the same lack of urgency that had characterised most of their play on the afternoon.
The final whistle was the cue for scenes of celebration from the visiting contingent while those with Mossley's fortunes at heart were left to ponder on another poor week for their side; one in which an early season blip is beginning to resemble a crisis.
To bring this report full circle I'm going to mention another adage that seems pertinent for this particular report and, unlike the lightning one, does contain a lot of truth: if you can't think of anything nice to say, then you shouldn't say anything at all.
So my thoughts on the game and more specifically the performance as a whole are as follows...
And now the closing paragraphs.
With a little over a month of the season gone is it too early to start panicking? Possibly.
But with just one win and five goals scored in nine games, almost thirty players used and now successive defeats to what were the two worst teams in the division form wise, it's hard not to worry about what the next seven months could have in store.
Scientists have spent hundreds, thousands and, likely, millions of pounds proving it to be false, yet they could have got the same result for the measly outlay of £14 - that's all it would have cost them to watch Mossley's last two home league games with Salford.
For the second year in succession The Ammies arrived at Seel Park still searching for their first win of the season and for the second successive year they left with it. The only difference this time being that they they claimed their points of the campaign too and all they needed was a solitary goal.
Its arrival eighteen minutes into the match was the result of a rare moment of quality on what was otherwise a poor afternoon for good football. A slide rule pass sent Adam Morning scampering away down the left wing and after beating Andy Watson not once but twice, the former Mossley winger fired over a cross which was met at full stretch by the head of another ex-Lilywhite, Rhodri Giggs, who directed the ball beyond the reach of Peter Collinge.
A few minutes later a shot by Danny Egan forced Andy Robertson into palming the ball over his crossbar, but other than a couple of half chances that flashed across the face of goal, that was best opportunity Mossley could muster in response to going behind during the opening period.
In fact the Lilywhites were fortunate they weren't facing an even bigger deficit to overcome at the start of the second half after Carl Ruffer grazed the post with an unmarked header from close range just before the interval.
From a Mossley perspective what followed after the break was marginally better than what had preceded it but it still fell some distance short of being enough to rescue the game.
Eight minutes into it Egan once again tested Robertson, this time with a shot from distance that the keeper fumbled, rather than pushed, away for a corner. Over the remainder of the match though Mossley were only able to carve out one more real opening and it came with quarter of an hour left.
Substitute Rob Crank played the ball into the path wing back Ben Richardson and his cross fizzed along the edge of the six yard box to Egan. The forward though, probably not realising just how much time and space he had, swung wildly at the ball and spooned his shot high over the cross bar.
The visitors had the chance to seal the points during a goalmouth scramble in which three shots were blocked in quick succession but a second goal proved unnecessary as Mossley continued to flail, much as they've done all season, in the attacking third of the pitch. The closing stages playing out with the same lack of urgency that had characterised most of their play on the afternoon.
The final whistle was the cue for scenes of celebration from the visiting contingent while those with Mossley's fortunes at heart were left to ponder on another poor week for their side; one in which an early season blip is beginning to resemble a crisis.
To bring this report full circle I'm going to mention another adage that seems pertinent for this particular report and, unlike the lightning one, does contain a lot of truth: if you can't think of anything nice to say, then you shouldn't say anything at all.
So my thoughts on the game and more specifically the performance as a whole are as follows...
And now the closing paragraphs.
With a little over a month of the season gone is it too early to start panicking? Possibly.
But with just one win and five goals scored in nine games, almost thirty players used and now successive defeats to what were the two worst teams in the division form wise, it's hard not to worry about what the next seven months could have in store.
Ossett Albion 2 - 0 Mossley
We lost. Again.
What? You want to more than that? Well if you do then, my, have you come to the wrong place!
Instead of freezing my feet off at Dimple Wells, watching Mossley's most recent efforts to put further distance between themselves and the top of the table, I was at home; my dad's birthday taking precedence over matters football. Although that said, I very much doubt I'd have been there if such an occasion hadn't coincided with the game.
Therefore with not having seen the match, I can't give you any indication as to whether it was a noble defeat or the latest in the ever growing line of miserable displays and results. However, that's not to say that I don't have an opinion on it, I'm just not putting it on here. Yet.
Various accounts of what went on exist in various places on the internet. The official report gives one version of events while the twitter updates and forum reactions from the supporters who went give a somewhat differing view. Drawing my own conclusions from the sources available leads me to the following:
It was a game of little incident in which Mossley failed to break down a poor Osset side. And given that we've also failed to break down poor Cammell Laird and Warrington sides this season, I think the p-word is an adjective that can also be applied to us.
Thanks to their 'one dimensional' game plan though Ossett tooke the lead with twenty minutes remaining and added a second not long after, leaving Mossley with a hill too steep to climb in order to rescue the game; a situation not helped by the only forward in the sixteen man squad having long since been substituted.
So the spiral continues and sadly at the moment not in an upwards direction. Instead we appear to be riding a nutty log round the toilet bowl of the Unibond First Division North and heading for NWCFL sewage system. If we can't improve then our only hope is for some of the stools we're jostling with block up the u-bend before we get there. And given that these sides are currently beating us, it's not a hope that can be considered great.
Oh well, if we can't claim three points off the second worst side in the league, lets hope we can beat the worst on Saturday when Salford turn up at Seel Park. Or at the very least hang on for the draw.
What? You want to more than that? Well if you do then, my, have you come to the wrong place!
Instead of freezing my feet off at Dimple Wells, watching Mossley's most recent efforts to put further distance between themselves and the top of the table, I was at home; my dad's birthday taking precedence over matters football. Although that said, I very much doubt I'd have been there if such an occasion hadn't coincided with the game.
Therefore with not having seen the match, I can't give you any indication as to whether it was a noble defeat or the latest in the ever growing line of miserable displays and results. However, that's not to say that I don't have an opinion on it, I'm just not putting it on here. Yet.
Various accounts of what went on exist in various places on the internet. The official report gives one version of events while the twitter updates and forum reactions from the supporters who went give a somewhat differing view. Drawing my own conclusions from the sources available leads me to the following:
It was a game of little incident in which Mossley failed to break down a poor Osset side. And given that we've also failed to break down poor Cammell Laird and Warrington sides this season, I think the p-word is an adjective that can also be applied to us.
Thanks to their 'one dimensional' game plan though Ossett tooke the lead with twenty minutes remaining and added a second not long after, leaving Mossley with a hill too steep to climb in order to rescue the game; a situation not helped by the only forward in the sixteen man squad having long since been substituted.
So the spiral continues and sadly at the moment not in an upwards direction. Instead we appear to be riding a nutty log round the toilet bowl of the Unibond First Division North and heading for NWCFL sewage system. If we can't improve then our only hope is for some of the stools we're jostling with block up the u-bend before we get there. And given that these sides are currently beating us, it's not a hope that can be considered great.
Oh well, if we can't claim three points off the second worst side in the league, lets hope we can beat the worst on Saturday when Salford turn up at Seel Park. Or at the very least hang on for the draw.
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.
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.
Warrington Town 2 - 0 Mossley
Who knew that apathy could have a positive side?
My current state of ennui regarding Mossley, especially the away fixtures, meant that I turned down the chance to cheer them on/passively observe their latest outing at Warrington. And what a good decision it apparently turned out to be.
The early messages filtering through about the game and the performance as Mossley went behind, and further behind, to goals from set pieces weren't good. Far, far from good in fact. But compared to some of the first hand accounts I've heard in the forty eight hours since the match took place, even those initial comments seem wishy-washy and non-committal on just how bad we actually were.
There's a report on the game here (another one here too) and I'm just thankful that having heard what happened (or in Mossley's case didn't) I didn't have to write it; one thing I'm not particularly known for is my diplomacy after a bad performance. Actually that's not true as I can be pretty level-headed after one. It's when there's a string of them that I begin to lose the ability to write with tact and... well, we haven't exactly been ripping up trees or even weeds recently have we?
So instead of standing in a strong wind at Cantilever Park, getting slowly depressed and not a touch angry at the display produced by a team I support, I was sat at home, unconcerned, watching old Trevor and Simon clips on YouTube and £7 richer than I would have been. Honestly, I could get addicted to indifference.
My current state of ennui regarding Mossley, especially the away fixtures, meant that I turned down the chance to cheer them on/passively observe their latest outing at Warrington. And what a good decision it apparently turned out to be.
The early messages filtering through about the game and the performance as Mossley went behind, and further behind, to goals from set pieces weren't good. Far, far from good in fact. But compared to some of the first hand accounts I've heard in the forty eight hours since the match took place, even those initial comments seem wishy-washy and non-committal on just how bad we actually were.
There's a report on the game here (another one here too) and I'm just thankful that having heard what happened (or in Mossley's case didn't) I didn't have to write it; one thing I'm not particularly known for is my diplomacy after a bad performance. Actually that's not true as I can be pretty level-headed after one. It's when there's a string of them that I begin to lose the ability to write with tact and... well, we haven't exactly been ripping up trees or even weeds recently have we?
So instead of standing in a strong wind at Cantilever Park, getting slowly depressed and not a touch angry at the display produced by a team I support, I was sat at home, unconcerned, watching old Trevor and Simon clips on YouTube and £7 richer than I would have been. Honestly, I could get addicted to indifference.
On FM This PM
This afternoon Mossley's Financial Secretary, John Larner, appeared on Tameside Radio to promote the clubs upcoming events. If you missed it here it is, just click the play button:
Or alternatively you can download it by following the instructions here.
There are no earth shattering revelations but hey, it's not that often we're on the radio (at least not when I'm able to record it) so it's there if you want to listen.
Or alternatively you can download it by following the instructions here.
There are no earth shattering revelations but hey, it's not that often we're on the radio (at least not when I'm able to record it) so it's there if you want to listen.
Mossley 2 - 2 Chorley
Another day, another game and another report that could simply consist solely of 'hum' and 'ho' being arranged into a well known saying.
It's hard not to imagine Mossley and Chorley having left Seel Park on Bank Holiday Monday with a mixture of conflicting emotions - both relief and disappointment at picking up a point in a game that either side could have easily won and lost. And the supporters likewise will have left in two minds; happiness at the the fact the game eventually provided some entertainment but sadness that the excitement came courtesy of a seemingly unending series of mistakes and not any great play.
The first half was one short on chances, good football and entertainment but happily for Mossley, it was one which concluded with them holding the lead. The solitary goal that gave it to them came in the 23rd minute when Graham Kay looped a header into the net; an opportunity that presented itself following a short spell of pressure brought about by the visitors failure to clear their lines after a corner.
Graham Kay heads Mossley into a first half lead.
Such was the lack of anything else of note from either side (especially the Magpies) over the course of the opening forty five minutes, it seemed like that goal would be the defining incident of the day. Unfortunately it was a train of thought that didn’t take into account the generosity Mossley have been displaying towards opponents this season at Seel Park.
In their previous two home games the Lilywhites have conceded goals almost immediately after the half-time interval and this match was no exception. In fact it proved to be worse as Chorley struck twice in the opening four minutes of the second period to edge them selves in front. Both goals stemmed from defensive errors with Terry Fearns punishing the home side for the first and Chris Amadi (by far and away the best player on the pitch) the second with a superb finish from the corner of the box.
With Mossley offering little in the way of an attacking threat, it looked increasingly unlikely that they’d be able to arrest the run of home defeats. Thankfully though the rushes of blood weren’t solely confined to the Lilywhites back line as the visitors needlessly conceded a penalty eighteen minutes from time. Matty Kay successfully converting the spot kick for his third goal of the campaign.
As the game balanced on the proverbial knife edge, both sides proceeded to squander chances in an error strewn final fifteen minutes to the game. Mossley’s best opportunities fell to Matty Kay but twice he failed to connect properly with the ball as it bounced tantalisingly across the face of the goal.
While at the other end of the pitch Fearns should have secured the win for Chorley in injury time but his shot after being put clean through on goal had a touch of cockiness about it. Instead of placing the ball firmly past the onrushing Peter Collinge, he tried to be oh so clever by chipping him with the outside of the boot and paid the price – the ball arcing away from goal and bouncing harmlessly wide.
On the balance of play the draw was possibly the fairest result and given that either side could easily have lost in the closing stages, I suspect both will ultimately be happy with the point gained.
As welcome a point it was too, it was though another Mossley performance that was lacking in certain areas. There was a fair amount of spirit shown but you can't win games on that alone. You need creativity, guile and solidity too and there wasn't much of that in evidence. Again.
Much will be made of Mossley's threadbare squad on the day (we only had two subs to choose from) but the truth is that, the minor reshuffling aside, we played not much differently to how we've done when there was a full compliment to pick from.
The forward line was still isolated to the point where at one stage in the second half, new striker Chris McCaughtrie was playing deeper than some of the midfielders in an attempt to get a touch of the ball. The defence continued to be their own worst enemy, while the midfield was like the staff in Curry's when you want to buy something - there one minute and gone the next.
While leaving the ground after the match I overheard someone say that we should be beating sides like Chorley. Well if that was you then I hate to break this news: we are a side like Chorley, we're a mid-table Unibond First Division North team. Didn't you realise? And until some of the problems that have afflicted us in these early games have been rectified, that's where we'll remain for the foreseeable future.
Unless of course we decide we want to keep some of the teams at the bottom of the league company.
Ah well, it's still early days.
It's hard not to imagine Mossley and Chorley having left Seel Park on Bank Holiday Monday with a mixture of conflicting emotions - both relief and disappointment at picking up a point in a game that either side could have easily won and lost. And the supporters likewise will have left in two minds; happiness at the the fact the game eventually provided some entertainment but sadness that the excitement came courtesy of a seemingly unending series of mistakes and not any great play.
The first half was one short on chances, good football and entertainment but happily for Mossley, it was one which concluded with them holding the lead. The solitary goal that gave it to them came in the 23rd minute when Graham Kay looped a header into the net; an opportunity that presented itself following a short spell of pressure brought about by the visitors failure to clear their lines after a corner.
Such was the lack of anything else of note from either side (especially the Magpies) over the course of the opening forty five minutes, it seemed like that goal would be the defining incident of the day. Unfortunately it was a train of thought that didn’t take into account the generosity Mossley have been displaying towards opponents this season at Seel Park.
In their previous two home games the Lilywhites have conceded goals almost immediately after the half-time interval and this match was no exception. In fact it proved to be worse as Chorley struck twice in the opening four minutes of the second period to edge them selves in front. Both goals stemmed from defensive errors with Terry Fearns punishing the home side for the first and Chris Amadi (by far and away the best player on the pitch) the second with a superb finish from the corner of the box.
With Mossley offering little in the way of an attacking threat, it looked increasingly unlikely that they’d be able to arrest the run of home defeats. Thankfully though the rushes of blood weren’t solely confined to the Lilywhites back line as the visitors needlessly conceded a penalty eighteen minutes from time. Matty Kay successfully converting the spot kick for his third goal of the campaign.
As the game balanced on the proverbial knife edge, both sides proceeded to squander chances in an error strewn final fifteen minutes to the game. Mossley’s best opportunities fell to Matty Kay but twice he failed to connect properly with the ball as it bounced tantalisingly across the face of the goal.
While at the other end of the pitch Fearns should have secured the win for Chorley in injury time but his shot after being put clean through on goal had a touch of cockiness about it. Instead of placing the ball firmly past the onrushing Peter Collinge, he tried to be oh so clever by chipping him with the outside of the boot and paid the price – the ball arcing away from goal and bouncing harmlessly wide.
On the balance of play the draw was possibly the fairest result and given that either side could easily have lost in the closing stages, I suspect both will ultimately be happy with the point gained.
As welcome a point it was too, it was though another Mossley performance that was lacking in certain areas. There was a fair amount of spirit shown but you can't win games on that alone. You need creativity, guile and solidity too and there wasn't much of that in evidence. Again.
Much will be made of Mossley's threadbare squad on the day (we only had two subs to choose from) but the truth is that, the minor reshuffling aside, we played not much differently to how we've done when there was a full compliment to pick from.
The forward line was still isolated to the point where at one stage in the second half, new striker Chris McCaughtrie was playing deeper than some of the midfielders in an attempt to get a touch of the ball. The defence continued to be their own worst enemy, while the midfield was like the staff in Curry's when you want to buy something - there one minute and gone the next.
While leaving the ground after the match I overheard someone say that we should be beating sides like Chorley. Well if that was you then I hate to break this news: we are a side like Chorley, we're a mid-table Unibond First Division North team. Didn't you realise? And until some of the problems that have afflicted us in these early games have been rectified, that's where we'll remain for the foreseeable future.
Unless of course we decide we want to keep some of the teams at the bottom of the league company.
Ah well, it's still early days.
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