When Mossley went in at half time 3-1 to the good in Saturday’s visit to Ossett Albion, few could have predicted what was to follow in what can only be described as a nightmarish second half performance by the Lilywhites.

After a fortnight off due to the adverse weather it was no real surprise that Mossley were slow out of the blocks and after a period of early pressure the home side took a 5th minute lead. Declan Dawson cleverly eluded Tom Pratt on Mossley’s left wing and his cross was volleyed home from ten yards by Connor Brunt.

The goal seemed to spark Mossley to life and shortly after Pratt burst through from the left wing only to see his effort cleared off the line.

However, with the game still only 12 minutes old a raking angled ball played right to left set Pratt free again and this time the Mossley wide man made no mistake to equalise.

Three minutes later the Lilywhites turned the game around. Pratt again causing havoc on the left before crossing to the far post, Andy Keogh headed down at the far post and Dave Short crashed the ball home from eight yards.

Mossley continued to ask all the questions and after a few close calls the Lilywhites stretched the lead three minutes before the break. Again Pratt was the instigator as his left wing cross was beautifully glanced home by the head of Andy Keogh with keeper Souter rooted to his line.

Mossley continued in comfortable control through to the 67th minute when the game started to turn in the home side’s favour when Scott Kerr’s shot took a wicked deflection to loop over Liam Flynn’s attempted save.

Three minutes later and Ossett were level when Dominic Riordan’s looping header somehow eluded Flynn and the scores were level at 3-3.

Ossett now had their backs up and sensed what had earlier looked a highly unlikely victory.

That victory was secured on 77 minutes with what can only be described as a horrible goal from Mossley’s perspective. A long awkwardly bouncing ball out of defence by Ossett saw both Tom Dean and Michael Thomas miss headers leaving Liam Flynn in no-mans land as substitute Nicky Matthews stole in to nick the ball away from him and slot home from a narrow angle.

Mossley struggled to get back in the game again but all of the first half impetus had now been lost and the Lilywhites created only one chance before the end which saw substitute Sam Robinson’s fifteen yard effort easily gathered by Souter.

It was a remarkable turnaround in fortunes in what was very much the proverbial ’game of two halves’.

Wiz