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.

At the end of a relatively even first half - forty five minutes in which goal scoring opportunities were at a distinct premium - one goal is all that separated the two teams and it was one that went the home sides way just after the half hour mark.

In the chase for the ball across the edge of his own penalty area, Genesis captain and former Mossley 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, the referee had little option other than to punish him for his barely disguised trip 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 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 (pictured) 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 only a matter of yards; 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 narrowly past 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.

Report by SJNR

pics by Simon Howard