Mossley gave a very creditable performance at League leaders Warrington Town on Saturday, but the home side were still able to stretch their unbeaten run to 16 games at the Lilywhites expense.

Warrington play with a singularly direct and aggressive style, pumping endless long, high and driven balls into the box, rarely taking a second touch, playing very much a percentages game, with giant striker Aaron Bowen the usual target. It is a style that is ugly on the eye but extremely effective. They are a side who may well win the League but will win few friends or plaudits for their particular brand of up and under football along the way.

The home side were at it from the start as the first pass from kick off was boomed down the Mossley wing and a corner won. A goalmouth scramble ensued as Warrington pushed and barged their way around the Mossley box as the Lilywhites struggled to clear.

The bombardment continued and was rewarded in the 7th minute when Metcalfe rifled a powerful cross from the left and Ben Wharton smashed home off the underside of the bar from close range.

Mossley finally got their bearings and after keeping possession well for a spell forged a 15th minute equaliser. Good work by McCarthy, Pratt and Carroll saw Andy Keogh receive the ball ten yards out with his back to goal. Keogh swivelled quickly to fire past the stranded keeper Cook.

The Lilywhites then enjoyed a good spell with the home side’s hump it and hope football being well marshalled by McGrath and McGonigle in the heart of the Lilywhites defence while Carroll, Keogh, McCarthy and Pratt were asking plenty of questions of the home defence.

It was somewhat against the run of play when Warrington restored their lead on 31 minutes when Bowen controlled a high cross and laid the ball back for Ciaran Kilheeney to fire home from the edge of the box.

Back came Mossley again to restore parity a minute before the break. Dougie Carroll controlled a long ball from defence and rolled Andy Keogh through a gap. The burly Mossley forward firing an unstoppable low drive into the bottom corner from 25 yards.

There were fewer chances for either side after the break but the homesters went ahead for the third time on 58 minutes when Kilheeney slotted home his second after the ball fortuitously ricocheted to him on the left.

Mossley worked tirelessly to try to find an equaliser but it wouldn’t come as Warrington continued to hoof clearances as far as possible and managed to stifle every Mossley attack.

Ryan Marley had Mossley’s last and best chance when he won a header at a last minute corner but was unable to direct the ball goalwards and the chance and Mossley’s hopes of a positive result were gone, despite the Lilywhites best efforts.

Report by Wizard

Andy Keogh