Mossley were disappointed to return from Wakefield with only a point after being held to a 1-1 draw at Wakefield Trinity Wildcats Stadium on Tuesday night.

It is in fairness a much improved Wakefield side that provided the opposition, but nevertheless, the Lilywhites created enough chances to have won the game comfortably.

The side showed a number of changes from Saturday’s opening day defeat by Kendal Town with a different formation and four players making their full debuts.

Mossley threatened with every attack with new boys Charlie Weir, Dougie Carroll and Brian Matthews causing the home defence plenty of problems with their pace and movement while Lewis Nightingale was outstanding in supporting the attack from midfield.

All four players had scoring chances early on denied either by shooting wide or saved by the large frame of home keeper Sam Dobbs.

Wakefield had shown only a few glimpses of what they were capable of but took a shock lead on 35 minutes. A long deep cross from the right wing looked to be going out of play but Hamilton stretched a leg to somehow keep the ball in play and the home side’s best player Shaquille Clarke-Adams was perfectly placed to plant the ball past the despairing dive of Russ Saunders.

Wakefield then enjoyed their best spell of the game with the Lilywhites temporarily rattled but the home side’s shooting was wayward.

The remainder of the half wasn’t without controversy with the match officials at the centre of events. Dougie Carroll latched onto a through ball and was clattered by keeper Dobbs on the edge of the box as he clipped the ball past him. Dobbs was extremely fortunate to receive only a yellow card and Nightingale’s resultant free kick flew narrowly over the bar.

Dougie Carroll then nodded home a far post cross by Matthews only to be ruled off-side despite Wakefield having a defender and keeper on the goal-line.

Nightingale was then clearly fouled in the box as he darted past the last defender but Mossley were awarded only a corner.

Mossley fully deserved their equaliser on the stroke of half time when Lewis Nightingale’s right wing free kick eluded everyone in a crowded home box and found it’s way into the far corner of the net.

The second half saw the game flow quickly from end to end but it was still Mossley who created the better openings. Carroll, Weir, Nightingale were all somewhat unlucky not to give Mossley the lead.
Charlie Weir was harshly yellow carded as the onrushing Dobbs crashed into him with substitute Sam Madeley putting the ball in the empty net to no avail.

A frantic final five minutes saw Madeley fire a free kick into the wall and at the other end Saunders saved well from the dangerous Clarke-Adams as either team could have snatched it at the end.
As it was, both sides had to settle for a point, but it will be the Mossley lads who will be the most disappointed with the final result.

Report by Wizard