Saturday 15th
October 2005
@ Seel Park, Mossley

Mossley
1. Lee Bracey (6)
2. Andy Thackeray (7)
3. Steve Sheil (7)
4. Paul Challinor (8)
5. Nicky Thompson (7)
6. Melford Knight (8)
7. Josh Howard (7)
8. Joel Pilkington (6)
9. Phil Denney (7)
10. Rhodri Giggs (7)
11. Adam Morning (6)
subs
12. Joe Shaw (8)
(for Pilkington 72 mins)
14. Jordan Goodeve
(not used)

Scorers:
Mossley
Phil Denney (75 mins)
Rhodri Giggs (78 mins)
Melford Knight (90 mins)

Shepshed Dynamo
1. Baldwin
2. O'Brien
3. Gamble
4. Dyce
5. Savage
6. Timms
7. Scott
8. Lambert
9. Gomm
10. Thomas
11. Howell
12. Peel
(not used)
14. Andy Bourne
(not used)
15. Bishop
(for Lambert)
16. Armstrong
(for Scott)
17. Jones
(not used)

Scorers:
Shepshed
Howell (47 mins)
Gomm (67 mins)

Mossley made a remarkable late comeback to secure progress in the FA Trophy at the expense of Shepshed Dynamo at Seel Park this afternoon. Mossley were hit by a training injury to team captain Danny Meadowcroft and were forced to reorganise the defence yet again with Nicky Thompson stepping in as his replacement. While Altrincham refused to allow loan player Nehru McKenzie to become 'cup-tied' and Jordan Goodeve was named on the bench despite struggling with injury.

The Lilywhites struggled to get out of first gear in the opening 45 minutes and chances for both sides were at a premium.

Mossley were hampered by wide men Adam Morning and Josh Howard unable to get in any decent crosses despite both finding plenty of space while at the other end Anthony Howell was causing the Mossley defence problems with some loping runs and centre forward Steve Gomm was also proving a handful.

It was after the break that the game sprung to life but not in the Lilywhites favour, the small noisy band of Shepshed fans were given something to cheer as the visitors took the lead just two minutes into the half. The impressive Anthony Howell finishing well at the far post after good work on the right by Scott and Thomas.

Worse was to follow for lacklustre Mossley as Shepshed doubled their advantage ten minutes later with Steve Gomm firing home from close range after finding himself in acres of space with only Bracey to beat.

Off key Mossley looked dead and burried at this stage and Shepshed looked on the way to causing a major upset.

However, the 72nd minute introduction of Mossley's only fully fit substitute Joe Shaw turned the game on it's head. Josh Howard switched to a central midfield role and finally began to orchestrate the game, while Shaw's boundless enthusiasm and high work rate started to wreak havoc with a tiring Shepshed defence.

The tide began to turn on 75 minutes when Thackeray and Morning combined on the right and the latters cross was headed home by Phil Denney to half the arrears and three minutes later Mossley were level.

Howard teased the Shepshed defence with some great skills before freeing Morning who's low cross was turned home from close range by Rhodri Giggs.

With Mossley now in the ascendancy the visitors were finding it difficult to live with the Lilywhites rediscovered potency and the Dynamos formerly delerious fans could only watch in disbelief as Mossley won through to the next round with a last minute winner.

Shepshed had just missed a good chance when substitute Bishop headed over when a goal looked certain in what was by now a rare Shepshed foray and in what was to be the last major action of the afternoon Mossley produced their stunning winner.

Morning fed Shaw who's angled drive flew accross the face of the Shepshed goal, Giggs hammered the ball back accross from the right low and hard and Melford Knight arrived at just the right moment to almost burst the net such was the power in his close range shot.

It's surely what cup ties are all about!

Mossley must now await the outcome of a replay between Ilkeston Town and Gresley Rovers to decide their second qualifying round opponents, while Shepsed are left to nurse their wounds after coming so close to causing an upset!