Mossley's bizarre inability to get through 90 minutes without some kind of minor catastrophe continued at Radcliffe Borough on Saturday afternoon. The Lilywhites went into the final five minutes of the game comfortably leading 2-0 and looking in no danger whatsoever of failing to take all three points from the struggling home side.

However, that final five fateful minutes saw Mossley concede two goals and have a player sent off to come away with just a solitary point from a game where three looked comfortably achievable.

Mossley gave a full debut to striker Osebi Abadaki after several promising subsitute appearances and he partnered Nathan Neequaye as Mossley returned to a 4-4-2 formation.

A mostly uininteresting first half saw both sides struggle to create openings with the home side having the best chance when Ben Wharton saw his close range volley palmed over by Martin Pearson.

Mossley looked more threatening after the break and opened the scoring with a solo effort by Osebi Abadaki, the lightning quick striker given his first start after several appearances off the bench, broke clear on the right. His initial shot was saved by Boro keeper Nick Culkin but Abadaki reacted quickest to the rebound to crash the ball home from close range.

Mossley then took control of the game almost completely. Forcing Radcliffe into some desperate clearances as Mossley players swarmed around the Boro box.

For their part Boro offered nothing as an attacking force but showed stiff resistance to Mossley's constant raids denying Lilywhites players space in and around the box.

Mossley deservedly doubled their advantage on 80 minutes and it was that man Abadaki again. The Mossley striker who began the current season as a Radcliffe player, raced through a gap on the right in similar style to the opening goal but this time made no mistake with his first shot which flew past Culkin into the far bottom corner of the net.

Game over! Or so it appeared! Five minutes from time Boro attacked down the left and the ball looked to have gone out of play before being pulled back for substitute Griff Jones to force the ball home. Mossley skipper Peter Band then said something out of turn to the referee in protest and was promptly dismissed.

Radcliffe suddenly, and for the first time in the half, sensed they could snatch something from a game that had seemed convincingly lost and snatch something they did. Two minutes from time, a ball played in from the right wasn't dealt with and former Mossley midfielder Reece Kelly curled a great shot into the top corner of the Mossley net that gave Pearson no chance.

Mossley quickly re-organised and held on for the closing moments in a game in which they will probably never fully understand how they didn't return home with a victory.

Report by Wizard