Mossley
1. Josh Ollerenshaw
2. Ben Richardson
3. Dieter Downey
4. Simon Lenighan
5. Steve Mason
6. Declan Evans
7. Nicky Platt
8. Gary Gee
9. Ryan Brooke (c)
10. Ben Halfacre
11. Adam Morgan
subs:
12. Eliot Goldthorp (for 11 - 77)
14. Paul Marshall (unused)
15. Andy Keogh (unused)
16. Dylan Fitzgerald (unused)
17. Jes Uchegbulam (for 7 - 63)
Yellow cards:
Morgan, Brooke, Downey, Gee

Widnes
1. Owen Wheeler
2. Jay Roberts
3. Keenan Quansah
4. Daniel Ventre
5. Sam Sheen (c)
6. Joe Herbert
7. Conor Ready
8. Barry Brazel
9. Lewis Buckley
10. Ben Hodkinson
11. James Steele
subs
14. George Webster (for 5 - 68)
16. Christopher Lomas (for 11 - 86)
17. Michael Grogan (for 9 - 68)
18. Kevin Towey (unused)
Yellow cards:
Sheen, Brazel
Red card: Ventre

Referee: Mr S. Rushworth

 

Four goals, three penalties not given, last minute penalty missed, red card, six yellow cards, controversial goals, poor decisions and end to end high octane action, wow!

The game opened at a high tempo and that tempo never diminished in an enthralling, exciting but inevitably frustrating ninety minutes football against Widnes at Seel Park on Tuesday evening.

Mossley were very quickly out of the blocks and had an early chance that Ryan Brooke headed wide. The game switched quickly to the other end and Brazel had a chance for Widnes but blazed over.

The Lilywhites took the lead on 8 minutes. Mossley worked a move to the right of the Widnes box, Ben Halfacre returning the ball to Ben Richardson who’s angled cross-cum-shot appeared to take a deflection before finding the net at the far post.

The lively Ben Hodkinson raced clear for Widnes but dragged his effort wide when faced one-on-one with Mossley keeper Josh Ollerenshaw.

Richardson saw another ball whipped into the far post fly narrowly wide as Mossley looked to increase the lead but at the other end Conor Ready twice fired over the bar and Ollerenshaw made a good save to deny another Widnes effort.

The Lilywhites had their first penalty shout when Adam Morgan went down in the box but the referee booked him for diving but Mossley finally doubled the lead on 38 minutes with a superb strike. Ryan Brooke and Adam Morgan combined, the latter slid in Ben Halfacre who rasped an unstoppable daisy cutter past keeper Wheeler from the edge of the box.

Mossley were denied two big penalty appeals in quick succession. Ryan Brooke was brought down from behind as he bore down on goal and soon after Adam Morgan’s goal-bound effort struck a Widnes arm and deflected to the keeper as half time approached.

Widnes reduced the arrears on 58 minutes when Lewis Buckley appeared to foul Gary Gee on his way to goal before poking the ball past Ollerenshaw.
Mossley replaced Nicky Platt with Jes Uchegbulam who had started on the bench after arriving late to the ground and Mossley’s teenage sensation was soon in the thick of the action.

Uchegbulam had already put in a couple of dangerous crosses when he was hacked down by a late and high challenge that saw Widnes midfielder Danny Ventre deservedly shown a straight red card with fifteen minutes left to play.
Moments later Uchegbulam’s long range effort flew narrowly wide before Mossley gave a debut to midfielder Eliot Goldthorp signed in a loan deal from Bradford City as he replaced Adam Morgan for the closing stages.

The night’s most controversial incident occurred with ten minutes left on the clock. Widnes won a left wing corner the cross came back off the front of the bar, there was a scramble that followed with the ball hitting the inside of the left hand post before being cleared. However, the assistant flagged that the ball had crossed the line. Many claimed it hadn’t but ten man Widnes were level with the goal awarded to Widnes substitute Michael Grogan.

The game was in it’s final minute when a melee in the Widnes box saw Goldthorp fouled as he was about to score and Mossley were awarded a potentially match winning stoppage time penalty, Unfortunately for the Lilywhites penalty taker Ben Halfacre got it all wrong and despite sending Wheeler the wrong way hit his spot kick high and wide of the target much to everyone’s frustration and the Lilywhites had to settle for a point.

Wiz

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