Mossley bounced back from the midweek defeat to Skelmersdale to comfortably beat Salford at Moor Lane on Saturday and maintain a 4 point lead at the top. 

Whilst that lead might be under threat shortly as games in hand get played, this is the kind of result that certainly suggests the team will be at the right end of the table come April.  The performance, like the game as a whole, was not outstanding.  However, there is no doubt that they were better than their opponents, and they made it count.

Ash Young was brought back after suspension, Gary Gee missing out, whilst Ben Fallows also dropped to the bench for Shaun Williams. Steve Halford & Peter Band also dropped out, Sam Hind and debutant Chris Brown coming in.

Brown’s first touch was a crucial one after Mather’s clearance had been charged down.  Abadaki advanced into the area and was about to shoot on goal only for a timely tackle to prevent the effort on goal.

Salford started the brighter, but Mossley worked their way into the game and on 10 minutes Young elected to shoot when a slide ball to Hind was the better option and the effort was weak, but it was the start of the visitor’s dominance.

3 minutes later they took the lead.  Hind’s cross was poor, in truth, but the ball bounced off legs and fell into the path of Kayde Coppin who took a touch to control and then, from 12 yards, curled the ball around the defensive bodies into the corner.

With neither side truly on top of their game chances were few, but Coppin’s 24 minutes shot from the corner of the box did force a diving save from Taberner and the same player nearly took advantage of a Sam Madeley galloping run and cross only for his shot to be blocked by a sliding defender.  Madeley also struck the outside of the post with a driven shot.

Only as the break approached did Salford trouble Mossley, and Pearson was up to the test.  Firstly Abadaki used a good first touch to swap feet and fool Mather to cut inside and shoot.  Pearson saved well, as he did when Ible won a header from a free kick that looked a goal until the keeper’s diving save.

The second half was not one full of entertainment, but Mossley got the job done.  Whilst most of the game was played outside of the box, with both defences well disciplined in keeping the opposition at arm’s length, Mossley finally double the lead on 74 minutes when Sam Hind flicked on a corner at the near post.  The keeper had come for it and was stranded as it fell to Madeley at the back post for the simplest of headers into the empty net. 

Salford never looked like they would get back into the game as the Lilywhites closed it out.  That’s six wins from seven away games now, and they will be full of confidence when they travel to Wakefield on Tuesday.

Report by Jonathan Haggart