Having dominated the game for long spells, Mossley deservedly won the Willow Wood Hospice Cup over neighbours Ashton United at Hurst Cross on Saturday afternoon. But, it took penalty kicks to seperate the teams after a goalless 90 minutes. Both sides taking eight spot kicks each but bizarrely only five of the sixteen taken were converted.

Mossley opened the game brightly, playing neat and incisive pass and move football. Gavin Salmon had the first chance of the game when he burst through a defensive gap but Ashton keeper Terry Smith saved very well at his feet.

The pace and movement of the Mossley attacks were a problem to the home defence and only a last ditch tackle by Lynch denied Sam Hind a clear chance and Cavell Coo had a shot well saved by Smith.

At the other end a deep left wing free kick by Peers curled goalwards before coming back off the angle of post and bar.

For all Mossley's possession and creative play they were unable to break the hosts solid defence down as the half finished goalless.

Mossley continued where they left off after the break and Smith again saved well to deny Sam Hind and the same player had a good penalty shout waved away as it looked like he was brought down.

A number of substitutions by both sides saw the game lose it's earlier intensity and even more so as a previously bright sunny afternoon turned quickly into heavy rainfall.

Ashton had the better of the later stages and after several efforts had flown wide of Xavier Parisi's goal the Mossley sub keeper was indebted to Ben Fallows for a goal-line clearance as Ashton looked to sneak a win near the end.

So to the penalty shoot out, and a crazy shoot out it was. Robinson dobbed Ashton's first kick over the bar before Kayde Coppin fired Mossley ahead. Deegan scored for Ashton and then Dave Young crashed his spot kick against the bar. Ben Smith scored for Ashton and Gary Gee fired home for Mossley. 2-2 after three pens each. Amazingly the next seven penalties were all fails. Hare, Kosylo, Lynch and Hoctor all missed for Ashton with Parisi saving twice. Cavell Coo, Mark Haslam and Matt Landregan all missed their spot kicks for Mossley before Jay Gorton stepped up to smash the winner and the cup was won.

Due to the heavy rain the presentation was held in the Social Club where Mossley skipper Dave Young received the Willow Wood Hospice Cup from Willow Wood representative Mr John Fellowes.

Report by Wizard