A Mossley side missing several familiar names tumbled out of the UniBond League Cup at a wet and windy Giant Axe on Tuesday night.

Mossley were without the cup tied Tom Spearritt and Mike Fish, the unavailable Steve Settle and Steve Moore and the injured Jordan Goodeve. Danny Egan was recalled from his loan spell at Flixton while Chris Hirst was named as one of only two available substitutes.

Mossley opened playing into a strong wind and squally rain and the home side pressed early on but created little to trouble the Mossley defence, Mossley were equally ineffective at the other end and failed to trouble City keeper Beesley. Nathan Neequaye coming closest with a rising shot.

Lancaster took the lead in the 20th minute with the first quality move of the game which saw Mike Rushton score the first of a brace as City’s counter attacking style paid dividends.

Mossley forced a couple of corners that caused mild panic in the City defence but inevitable came to nought.
Mossley lost Ben Richardson at half time with the Mossley wing back having struggled through the last twenty minutes of the first period with an ankle injury. Chris Hirst replacing him for his first appearance since returning from Salford City.

Mossley huffed and puffed but created little while Lancaster again showed their cutting edge by soaking up Mossley attacks and then countering at speed. This tactic again paid dividends when Rushton scored his second in the 72nd minute to effectively seal victory for the Dolly Blues and in the closing moments substitute Jordan Connerton was on hand to score at the end of another Lancaster counter attack.

It had been a closer game than the scoreline suggests but Mossley need to find more of a cutting edge to get back to winning ways sooner rather than later.

report by John Cawthorne