A terrific opening spell by Mossley gave them an early cushion at Kendal Town on Saturday as the Lilywhites edged home with a 3-2 success as both sides ended the game with ten men.

It was Kendal who forged the first chance in the opening minute as Ash Frith was forced to save from the livewire Maison McGeechan. However, within the opening six minutes Mossley were two ahead and in truth it could have been four.

Mossley’s first attack saw Tom Murray’s close range effort cleared off the line before the Lilywhites took the lead moments later. Murray’s clever through ball was met by Mitchell Bryant who stroked the ball first time past Mintcakes keeper Dave Stevenson.

The lead was doubled two minutes later when Bryant was pulled back just outside the box and Dean Warburton struck a clever free kick around the wall and into the bottom corner.

Tom Pratt then powered a shot that cannoned back off the bar and Bryant was denied by a good block save by Stevenson as Mossley threatened to put the game to bed early.
However, it’s never that easy in this League and Kendal weren’t for rolling over.

Mossley conceded a free kick just outside the box and Kendal right back Kieran Walmsley retaliated unnecessarily and was shown a straight red card, but from the free kick Tom Pratt bundled McGeechan over and home skipper Warren Beattie slotted home the spot kick to give the home side some hope of a comeback.

The Lilywhites play became laboured and over fussy and Kendal had a couple of half chances to equalise but Mossley ended the half back in control moving the ball around well against the ten man homesters.

Mossley made a great start to the second half when substitute Andy Brown played an angled through ball that Mitchell Bryant met with a smart first time volley on the turn that gave Stevenson no chance to extend the Lilywhites lead.

The visitors didn’t make it easy on themselves though and conceded a second goal when Kieran Pickup slotted home after Mossley had failed to deal effectively with a Kendal set piece on 63 minutes.

Mossley were further hit five minutes later when Andy Keogh was shown the first red card of his non league career when he fouled Hodgkiss whilst trying to stop the ball going out for a goal-kick.

The Lilywhites were forced to sit deeper with substitute Mike Fish ploughing a lonely furrow up front, but, despite much huff and bluster from the home side Mossley hung on for the remaining twenty minutes without too much consternation for a deserved three points and a position in the top half of the table.

Wiz