The Mossley Youth team finally went out of the FA Youth Cup at Darlington's Northern Echo Arena on Wednesday night, the north Yorkshire side inflicting a first defeat of the season on Mossley's exciting youngsters.

Mossley more than matched their full time opponents in the first half, playing their usual brand of neat flowing football and creating the better chances, but for the first time this season found a goal elusive. Harney, Dorney and Byrne all going close, while a Jordan Cuff thirty yard thunderbolt grazed the bar.

At the other end Nick Howard saved well from the pacey Danny Lambert with the home side's only effort of note in the opening period.

Darlington, after an apparent half time rollicking from their manager, came out more forcefully after the break, but there was still nothing in the game when in the 60th minute Andy McKernon was harshly adjudged to have fouled Lambert on the right edge of the Mossley box after appearing to win the ball cleanly. Darlington worked the free kick quickly down the side of Mossley's defensive wall and Lambert crossed low for Jordan Marshall to rap home from close range.

The goal seemed to knock much of the stuffing out of Mossley and they never really threatened a recovery, although a few half chances came and went. Dorney and Heap, so effective for Mossley all season were very much bit part players on this occasion, neither finding their shooting boots on the night.

Darlington's second that edffectively sealed the result came when Dale Hopson fired a powerful shot from just outside the box that gave Howard no chance and in the final minutes salt was rubbed into Mossley's wounds when Phil Gray's shot took a wicked deflection off the unlucky Alex Clarke and spun past Howard to give the result an unbalanced look.

Darlington probably deserved the win overall, but Mossley can consider themselves unlucky with the margin of defeat and can hold their heads high after what has so far been a fantastic season.

Report by Wizard

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