Mossley’s seemingly never ending injury crisis continued apace in Saturday’s defeat at Colwyn Bay with Danny Meadowcroft, Carl Rezai, Dave Brown and Danny Forde all unavailable for selection, added to the already long list including Josh Howard, Leon Mike, Matty Taylor and Shaun Dootson. What was left—just 12 fit players including 2 goalkeepers for the trip to Wales.
Unlike recent games Mossley, with a number of players forcibly playing out of position, actually opened brightly and threatened to open up a cumbersome looking Bay defence. Mario Daniel twice going close with a header and then a rasping drive.
However, it was the home side who took the lead in the 21st minute. Mossley’s unfamiliar back four found themselves stretched and Bay top scorer Calvin Davies took advantage of a missed tackle and a fortunate bobble to give them the lead.
The Mossley youngsters were hit again when the games best player Alex Kevan unleashed a 25 yard “daisy-cutter” that went in off the foot of the post. Could it get worse for Mossley, of course it could … and did within seconds ...as Rhodri Giggs was given a straight red card for speaking out of turn to the referee!
With ten men and recent signings Rory Patterson and Leyton Slack attempting to shore up the midfield Mossley were now really up against it and Kevan used all his experience to bombard Mossley with a series of exquisite crosses from all angles that caused endless consternation for the makeshift Mossley rearguard.
Captain for the day Lee Bracey was lucky to escape with a yellow card after unintentionally handling outside the box and then made amends with a fine double save from the free kick.
Somehow the Lilywhites survived in tact to the break and were finally able to organize properly for the second half and gave a much more focused performance thereafter.
Mossley were finally rewarded for their efforts in the 64th minute when Studley’s long ball down the left released Chris Downey but he was hauled down in the box by Morris only to get up and slot home Mossley’s first penalty award of the season.
Colwyn Bay were now very much on the back foot and Mossley piled forward in search of an unlikely equalizer and several half chances flashed around the Bay box but without the reward of a Mossley player getting a final touch.
The home side were then awarded a last minute penalty when Slack brought down Kevan but Lee Bracey dived to his right to make a good stop from James McIlvogue’s spot kick. Mossley went straight up the other end and Downey just failed to get a touch as the ball flashed across the Bay box after good work by Patterson and Coyne and Bay clung on to take the points.