The up-down nature of Mossley's season continued on Tuesday evening as they followed up their victory over promotion chasing Bamber Bridge with a heavy defeat against a side desperately trying to avoid being dragged into a relegation battle. The damage on the night being done in an incredible fifteen minute spell before the interval in which the visitors conceded a penalty, a soft goal, an own goal and had a man sent off.

Before the madness began the game had been very even. The best chance had fallen the Lilywhites way and came midway through the half when Matty Kay was sent clear of the Salford defence with a well placed through ball. However, with only the keeper to beat Mossley's leading scorer hooked his shot well wide of the goal.

Salford on the other hand were playing some nice passing football but producing little in the way of trouble for Mossley keeper Peter Collinge. That all changed though when Lee Blackshaw failed to connect with the ball during an attempted clearance and his swinging leg instead made contact with a City player. The referee had little option other than to award the home side a penalty which ex-Lilywhite Rhodri Giggs converted.

Within a matter minutes things got even worse for the visitors as Sam Walker was shown a straight red card for a lunging tackle on Salford full-back Alex Mortimer and Craig Mahon capitalised on some slack defending to put the home side two goals up. Salt was then rubbed into the wounds on the stroke of half time as Collinge became the second Mossley player on the night to miss the ball while attempting to kick it, thereby allowing Graham Kay's back pass to roll past him and into the net.

The uphill battle Mossley faced in the second half could have been even steeper in the few minutes immediately after the restart. A point blank save by Collinge stopped David Neville putting the home side four up before Tom Spearitt turned a Salford free-kick onto his own goal post, the ball thankfully ricocheting away to safety.

Faint hopes of what would have been a remarkable comeback were ignited when Matty Kay finally got his name on the score sheet in the 68th minute, but quickly quashed when Neville restored the Ammies three goal advantage not long after.

The Lilywhites now make an equally short trip to face Trafford and it's to be hoped that it's their 'Dr Jekyll' side that turns up at Shawe View. If it's the 'Mr Hyde' version though - the one which allowed a struggling Salford side to do the double over them - it's doubtful that Mossley will head into the Christmas fixtures with much seasonal cheer.

report by SJNR