DIVISION ONE NORTH

RED CARD RATTLES MOSSLEY
Tuesday 24th August 2010 @ Shawbridge, Clitheroe

Clitheroe

Mossley

(1) 5
(0) 0
Smalley (27), Jackson (67), D.Willaims (77), T.Williams (83), Jones (89)
-
Mossleyweb Man of the Match: Aaron Chalmers
1
Ben Proctor
 
-
1
Peter Collinge
 
--
2
Chris Smalley
 
1
2
Daryl Weston
 
-
3
Craig Naylor
 
-
3
Ben Richardson
 
-
4
Ryan Fisher
 
-
4
Aaron Chalmers
 
-
5
Kevin Brown
 
-
5
Liam Coyne
 
-
6
Ashley Parillion
 
-
6
Chris Rowney
 
=
7
Alex Brees
 
-
7
Steve Settle
withdrawn (60)
-
8
Jason Jones (c)
 
1
8
Matty Kay (c)
 
--
9
Alan Coar
withdrawn (60)
-
9
Mike Fish
withdrawn (58)
--
10
Mark Jackson
withdrawn  (78)
1
10
Jordan Goodeve
 
-
11
Danny Williams
withdrawn (78)
1
11
Osebi Adabaki
withdrawn (63)
--
12
Phil Eastwood
for D.Williams (78)
-
12
Mark Connor
not used
--
14
Tom Entwistle
not used
-
14
Mike Oates
for Fish (58)
--
15
Jack Higgins
not used
-
15
Lee Blackshaw
not used
--
16
Louis Mayers
for Jackson (78)
-
16
Danny Egan
for Settle (60)
--
17
Tom Williams
for Coar (60)
1
17
Kris King
for Adabaki (68)
--

 

If ever one moment changed the face of a game then this was it. What had been an evenly contested game with chances at both ends changed on one reckless incident ten minutes into the second half.

Ben Richardson, who had unluckily received a yellow card for a first half foul, inexplicably booted the ball out of the ground after the whistle had gone for an offence and was shown a second yellow and then red by referee Mr Haycock.

Clitheroe were leading by a solitary goal scored by right back Chris Smalley in the 27th minute at the time of the incident, but, for the remaining 35 minutes of the game following Richardson’s dismissal Mossley quite literally fell apart at the seams.

The Lilywhites went into the game without last season’s regular central defenders Andy Watson (unavailable) and Graham Kay (injured) with Liam Coyne replacing Watson and Aaron Chalmers continuing to cover for skipper Graham Kay. Not an ideal situation, with Chalmers a big miss in midfield, as he was on Saturday.

The game opened well for the Lilywhites with early chances falling to Mike Fish, Matty Kay and Osebi Abadaki, Fish failing when one on one with the keeper within the first five minutes.

Clitheroe’s opening goal, when it came was a little bit of a surprise as the home side had struggled to get a hold on the game up to that point. However, following the goal Mossley became a pale shadow of the side that had opened so confidently and brightly and when half time came it was time for a team-talk and a regroup to turn things around after the break.

Mossley did come out positively in the second period and attempted to press their hosts, but Fish fired over when well placed and Matty Kay had a goal-bound effort blocked before the red card moment.

What happened following Richardson’s departure denies easy explanation other than to say that Mossley capitulated completely thereafter.

Instead of rolling up their sleeves and showing the fighting spirit that had carried them through the latter half of last season, as harsh as it is to say, they instead showed their collective bellies, rolled over and died.

Clitheroe, who were at best an average side with a couple of clever forwards, were made to look like world beaters as they tore into Mossley’s weak midfield area and put constant pressure on an over-exposed defence.

One player who should be exempt from this general criticism is Aaron Chalmers who stuck to his task manfully, winning tackle after tackle, as those around him visibly crumbled.

Clitheroe added further goals through Mark Jackson (67 minutes), Danny Williams (77) Tom Williams (83) and Jason Jones (89) to rub salt in Mossley’s increasingly open wounds.

A major regroup is needed before facing Witton Albion in the FA Cup on Saturday and the Mossley boys need to recapture that team spirit that they showed in that great run last season as this result and the manner in which it came, with the talent available in the current squad, is quite simply unacceptable.

report by Wizard