Mossley bounced back from a heavy New Year’s Day defeat to New Mills by comfortably defeating another team in amber to keep hold of their 4 point lead at the top of the table.

The pattern of the game was set very early on as the home side dominated possession and Ossett put 10 men behind the ball, hoping to catch a bit of good fortune on the break.  It was up to Mossley to break them down, which they did on 11 minutes when Adam Mather put a short range header from a Rowney cross wide when he really ought to have hit the target.

Patience was required, as Mossley probed away trying to find an opening, and fortunately for the Lillywhites just as the crowd showed signs of losing theirs they finally made the breakthrough, on 35 minutes – and it was a great team goal.

Ossett centre half Henry Owen was on the touchline, trying to find a clearance down-field, but Kayde Coppin closed him down tenaciously as Owen twisted and turned.  Eventually Coppin forced Owen into conceding possession to Mark Haslam, who slipped the ball inside for Chris Rowney.  Rowney played a cross-field ball to Mather that was nearly over-hit, but the wingback controlled with his head and advanced into the area from 25 yards out.  As he got to the edge of the six yard box the crowd looked for a cross, but Mather had other ideas, unleashing a piledriver to the near post that beat the keeper with its pace.  1-0.

The second half opened with more home team pressure as Ashley Young forced an incredible save out of Rhodes as his shot from the edge of the area took a deflection, meaning the keeping was going the wrong way and was forced to shoot out his arm to direct the ball over the bar.  From the corner, Jason Gorton hit the bar.

But then Ossett did show signs of pushing forward, but only when Mossley dropped their levels temporarily.  The game had become scrappy when substitute Fox received a low cross at the edge of the 6 yard box and swivelled to shoot.  The ball was goal bound but for a timely sliding block by Man of the Match Mark Haslam.

Sam Hind & Lewis Nightingale were sent on to lively Mossley up, and had the desired effect, Hind’s lively runs in particular giving Ossett plenty to think about.  Then Mather sealed the points on 81 minutes.

A corner was punched to the edge of the area, and Mather struck it sweetly on the volley, his shot dipping over the keeper into the top corner.  A pearler.

There was one more chance before the end, Rowney sliding Hind in on the right, but the striker shanked his shot.  But Ossett were spent, and had nothing further to offer.

Report by Jonathan Haggart

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