Mossley's hopes of attaining a place in the top five were kept alive for a while longer as a solitary goal proved to be enough to edge them past a team competing with them for a spot in the play-offs.

With both sides playing their third game in the space of five days, the pre-match concerns that fatigue would have a huge impact on proceedings turned out to be correct, especially in a opening period that was high on errors but low on goal scoring opportunities.

Only twice in the first half did the deadlock ever look like being broken and the two chances fell within the space of sixty seconds of one another. Borough's Gary Sampson fired a powerful long range effort just wide of the angle between post and crossbar while at the opposite end of the pitch, Andy Russell looped a header onto the roof of the net from a free-kick.

The Lilywhites should have taken the lead immediately following the interval when Ben Richardson embarked on surging run which started deep in his own half and ended in Radcliffe box following a neat one-two with Michael Fish. Unfortunately though the finish didn't match the quality of the build-up and his shot flew high and wide of the target.

As time slowly wore on it looked increasingly likely that the game would end in a stalemate. However, with twenty minutes left a needless challenge by Steve Howson gave the Lilywhites the chance to take the lead from the penalty spot and Matty Kay - who'd been on the receiving end of Howson's illegal tackle – ensured they did by netting his 26th goal of the campaign.

Radcliffe offered little in response to going behind and it allowed Mossley to see out the closing stages of the game in relative comfort. In fact they would have had registered a more convincing victory deep into injury time but for a superb double save from Borough keeper Lloyd Rigby which prevented substitutes Steve Moore and Nathan Neequaye from adding to the scoreline.

It wasn't the greatest game that has ever taken place but that won't concern Mossley who with this fourth successive victory, jump two places into seventh: their highest league position of the season.

Report by SJNR

pics by Smiffy