After playing just two friendly matches it was a tough call for the newly assembled Mossley Academy team to begin their season with an FA Youth Cup tie against a big and well organised Colne side who ply their trade in the North West Youth Alliance.

Having said that, the Mossley lads have made great progress in their short time together and showed enough to prove that there are some very decent players amongst the squad.
With several players unavailable due to being slightly overage for the competition, the FA Youth Cup having a strict under 18’s policy. The Mossley lads still gave a good account of themselves and were still very much in the game until two late goals put paid to their hopes.

The Mossley Academy team, now managed by Dave Williams, opened brightly and took the game to their opponents, dominating the early stages with left winger Tyler Berry in particular causing Colne plenty of problems with some mazy runs. Reiss Delaney came closest to opening the scoring in a strong opening spell but after bursting through a gap fired narrowly wide.

Colen were caging themselves in somewhat by trying to play out from the back as Mossley worked hard to close down space and regularly forced the visitors to surrender possession in their own half.

At the back, the defence was superbly marshalled by skipper Callum Barrow and Ethan Blumenthal while keeper Kieran Cartwright was alert to any danger as he bravely raced from his line to clear a couple of dangerous moments.

Colne took the lead somewhat against the run of play on 38 minutes when Alex Boland scored at the near post following a Colne corner.

Mossley didn’t let their heads drop and continued pressing their opponents but without reward.

The second half was a more even affair as the Mossley lads unsurprisingly began to tire but the Lilywhites youngsters were still in the game up to the 77th minute. Having made substitutions and thrown caution to the wind in the hopes of claiming an equaliser the Lilywhites were hit when substitute Arron Fisher scored from a seemingly off-side position.

The result was given a flattering look in Colne’s favour in the last minute when Henry Antenes added a third goal for the visitors.

Wiz