Saturday 1st October 2005
@ Seel Park, Mossley

Mossley
1. Lee Bracey (7)
2. Joel Pilkington (7)
3. Andy Thackeray (7)
4. Karl Vernon (7)
5. Danny Meadowcroft (7)
6. Melford Knight (8)
7. Josh Howard (7)
8. Nicky Thompson (7)
9. Phil Denney (7)
10. Rhodri Giggs (8) Y
11. Adam Morning (7)
subs
12. Jordan Goodeve (7)
(for Denney 67 mins)
14. Paul Challinor
(not used)
15. Joe Shaw (-)
(for Howard 79 mins)

Scorers:
Mossley
Rhodri Giggs (19)
Rhodri Giggs (43)
Phil Denney (45)

Spalding
1. Pledger
2. Wadieh
3. Thorpe
4. Vaughan
5. Holyoak (c)
6. Harbottle
7. Bell R
8. Kerley
9. Childs
10. Sowerby
11. Hudson
subs
12. Barnett
(not used)
14. Pawson Y
(for Hudson)
15. Hlengwa
(for Bell)

Scorers:
Spalding
Kerley (40)

Referee: R.Bartlett
(Northenden)

Mossley enjoyed a comfortable if unspectacular home win over basement strugglers Spalding United at Seel Park on Saturday.

The visitors, probably not as bad as a side as the League table suggests, did however look a little low on confidence as some neat approach play generally pettered out by the time it reached the danger area and Mossley looked comfortably in control of the game from early on.

The Lilywhites opened the scoring on 19 minutes. Phil Denney burst down the right and whipped in a powerful low cross that Rhodri Giggs had the easiest of jobs to turn home from close range.

Giggs proved to be a thorn in Spalding's side throughout the afternoon and was involved in just about every Mossley attack.

Mossley were already in cruise control when Spalding hit back with a shock equaliser in the 40th minute. Bell managed to get around Karl Vernon on Mossley's left wing and the Mossley defence fatally froze as the linesman raised his flag for a foul, the referee however, allowed play to go on and Adam Kerley had an easy tap in with the Lilywhites defence left in statuesque mode.

For a few moments Spalding may have believed there was something in it for them but Mossley had other ideas and in the five minute space between the equalsier and half time the Lilywhites had opened up a two goal gap.

Adam Morning whipped an early cross in from the left and there was Rhodri Giggs again attacking the front post to turn the ball home with the keeper stranded.

A minute later it was 3-1 as Phil Denney spun past a defender and outpaced the defence to fire a very well taken goal past Pledger and give Mossley the cushion their superior cutting edge deserved.

The second half saw Spalding try hard to restore some pride, while Mossley, comfortably in control, threatened to score with every attack .

Rhodri Giggs probably still can't believe he didn't complete his hat-trick as he came agonizingly close on a number of occasions with Spalding keeper Pledger making a series of outstanding saves to deny him a treble his attacking flair undoubtedly deserved.

A goalless and otherwise mostly forgettable second period was marred briefly by Spalding defender Stewart Vauaghan who was red carded for lashing out at Giggs.