A misfiring Skelmersdale team found the accelerator pedal after half-time, to burn off the chances of a Mossley team that arrived at the West Lancashire College Stadium, with the intention of blocking their progress and for a while looked likely to achieve that aim. Tommy Lawson’s side found themselves a goal down at the interval despite having the majority of the possession, but within five minutes of the restart found the power to take the lead, inside five minutes, then confirm victory with a goal thirteen minutes from time.

Skelmersdale were on top from the kick-off. After three minutes Mossley keeper Martin Pearson just beat Paul Woolcott to a lovely crossfield ball from Lee Parle, then in the eleventh Pearson saved from Shaun Tuck, before on the quarter-hour a nice bit of interplay between Woolcott and Gareth Peet on the left, put the ball to Chris Almond’s feet, however with his back to goal, Almond flicked a back-heel effort that was scrambled off the line.

All the time though, the impression was that Skelmersdale just couldn’t get any momentum going, but still they plugged on and looked the better side.

In the 24th minute a lobbed ball from Mike Burke dropped just inside the eighteen yard box, Tuck went after it and bravely got a toe to the ball before outrushing keeper Pearson. The two inevitably collided and Tuck needed treatment.

The nearest Skelmersdale came to breaking the first-half deadlock was a 27th minute header from Tuck at the far post from a Woolcott cross, Pearson got a flat hand to the ball, which dropped like a stone on the line and again Mossley managed to clear.

The game changed in the 35th minute, when Mossley number nine Harry Noon went down injured and needed lengthy treatment, the players were stood around for a number of minutes, the result was that Mossley regained their breath and went onto the offensive for the first time in the game.

The warning of what was to follow came in the 40th minute, when Cameron Darkwah hit a thunderous shot at goal from 20 yards, how Skelmersdale keeper Sam Ashton saw it is debateable, let alone pull off the magnificent save he did to turn it onto a post.

In added time, Darkwah got loose down the left and sent the ball skimming across goal, Tom Ingham got to it first and poked it over the line, to give Mossley an unlikely lead, but one that had been coming for the previous ten minutes.

Skelmersdale emerged from the dressing-room after the break and roared into top gear. A foul on Peet on the left gave Steve Hussey a free-lick that he floated delicately to the far post; Rob McIntosh hoisted himself up and put a dropping header over Pearson into the far corner.

By the 50th minute, Skelmersdale had achieved a complete turnaround in fortunes. Almond skipped away down the left and delivered the ball across goal; the diminutive Woolcott “muscled” his way in and guided the ball home neatly.

Having been slack towards the end of the first-half Skelmersdale were not going to let Mossley back and a diving header to clear his lines by McIntosh in the 58th minute, was symbolic of their attitude.

The game was sewn up in the 77th minute. As usual, sniffing around the Mossley backline, Tuck pounced on a misunderstanding between defender and goalkeeper; he rounded Pearson and rolled the ball into the empty net.

After the game Skem Manager Tommy Lawson said; “Some days you play better than others, today I would say we played within ourselves, but having said that I must give credit to the players for the huge effort they made and the huge effort Mossley made too.”

Match Report: Neil Leatherbarrow http://www.pitchero.com/clubs/skelmersdaleunited/