Mossley amazingly lost a three goal lead to go down 4-3 at home to a powerful and skilful Durham City side at Seel Park on Saturday.

Mossley manager Gareth McClelland made just two changes from the side that started at Lancaster the previous Saturday with Tom Ingham and Joe Heap replacing the injured Cavell Coo and Danny Queeley.
Both will no doubt remember this game but for very different reasons as will be explained.

Durham were quick out of the blocks and Dowson tested Martin Pearson with a powerful shot and the visityors were dominating possession when Mossley hit twice in a dramatic three minute period.

With 16 minutes on the clock Kayde Coppin broke down the right, cut across to centre field and played in Joe Heap. Heap fired in a powerful shot that Durham keeper James Winter could only parry and Harry Noon reacted quickest to tap home the rebound past the stranded keeper.

Mossley attacked again from the restart and Joe Heap picked up the ball on left. He brilliantly waltzed past two defenders before curling home a great goal with his lesser favoured right foot.

The game then settled down with Mossley restricting Durham comfortably and the Lilywhites were fully deserving their two goal lead at the break.

Four minutes into the second half and Mossley looked to have an unassailable lead. Mossley won a right wing corner and Joe Heap’s flag kick was powerfully headed home by left back Steve Halford for his first Mossley goal.

Mossley were seemingly home and dry at this point. However that was soon to change.
In the 53rd minute Tom Ingham chose to pass back to Pearson on his blind side and Amar Purewal intercepted to give Durham what looked like a consolation goal.

The game’s most controversial incident then followed. Nathan Neequaye rounded Arjun Purewal on his way to goal only to be hauled down not once, but twice as the Mossley striker first re-gathered his composure . It looked a red card for the Durham defender but the referee awarded only yellow and sods law then applied as the same player then went and scored Durham’s second goal only a few minutes later.

At 3-2 it was now game on and Mossley were struggling to hold the visitors as put serious pressure on the Mossley goal.

The equaliser came on 75 minutes when a mis-placed pass gave possession to Durham’s best player Stephen Thompson and his far post cross was brilliantly volleyed home from a tight angle by Billy Greulich Smith.

Three minutes later Durham got what proved to be the winner when Gary Brown’s shot took a horrible deflection and looped over the head of the stranded Pearson to the disbelief of the Mossley faithful and the delight of Durham contingent.

Mossley gave everything in the final ten minutes in an attempt to restore parity but Alex Byrne saw his powerful drive fly just over the bar while Durham time wasted their way to the final whistle for a win that they could scarcely believe they had achieved.

Report by Wizard