Mossley shared the spoils in a crazy ten goal thriller at Harrogate RA’s Station View ground on the opening Saturday of the new season.

Both club’s ended the game bemoaning their defending whilst praising the quality of their respective finishing.

Little was shown of what was to come in the opening exchanges which were scrappy at best but it was Mossley who opened the scoring on 19 minutes. Dougie Carroll was fouled just outside the box and Mike Fish stepped up to curl a great 20 yard free kick into the far top corner which left Rail keeper Karl Dean grasping at air.

The lead lasted only six minutes though as Harry Coates crashed a deflected shot past Liam Higginbotham.

Mossley attacked straight from the kick off and were back in front within a minute. Carroll played a superb through ball that saw Steve Foster power past the last defender before crashing a powerful shot off the underside of the bar and down just over the goal-line.

Foster hit the post soon after as Mossley threatened to overrun the home side but it was Rail who scored next, equalising for the second time when Nathan Cartman raced through a gap to round Higginbotham and slot home.

Worse was to follow for Moslsey as Rail raced into a two goal advantage before the break. Tom Dean was adjudged to have fouled Lamin Colley and Cartman dispatched the resultant spot kick on 38 minutes.

Then three minutes before the break the Lilywhites found themselves astonishingly trailing by two goals when Adam Baker scored on the break after Weston and Granite had both somehow slipped and stumbled to gift the Rail winger the ball.

Shell-shocked Mossley came out all guns blazing after the interval and after Carroll had gone close twice in the opening seconds Steve Foster halved the arrears with a spectacular volley with the outside of his right foot that dipped over Karl Dean into the net from 20 yards.

Mossley pressed hard for an equaliser but in a what was by now a rare Rail raid they won a corner. Higginbotham blocked Coates’ header but Baker was on hand to stretch Rail’s lead back to two goals.

The Lilywhites refused to lie down and accept defeat and continued to attack. Andy Keogh hit the bar with a dipping effort from out on the left before Tom Dean flicked home Keogh’s left wing cross after Rail had failed to clear their lines following a Mossley corner.

Mossley now had the bit between their teeth and piled on the pressure throughout the remaining minutes and more than deserved the equaliser when it eventually came two minutes from time. Carroll’s clever back-heel put Foster through to complete a debut hat-trick as he delicately clipped the ball over the advancing keeper.

Mossley had strong penalty claims waved away in the closing moments, firstly for a hand ball and then for a foul on substitute Tom Pratt but referee Mr Smith was having none of it and the score finished a breathless 5-5 draw.

Wiz