Mossley went into this Manchester FA Premier Cup quarter Final without several key players and on a heavy Seel Park pitch Radcliffe Borough ended Mossley’s last hopes of cup success for another season.
The first half was an end to end affair but with little in the way of goalmouth action as both sides struggled with the final ball. Radcliffe had several wayward shots at goal while Mossley came closest to opening the scoring when the returning Leon Mike beat two defenders and the advancing keeper only to see his chipped effort acrobatically cleared off the line. Anthony Johnson fired a powerful header narrowly wide and Barrie Hart’s deflected drive landed on the roof of the net.
After the break Radcliffe began to take control and they did not relinquish it once they had taken a 51st minute lead when Martin Forrest’s speculative 25 yarder crept in at the post.
The visitors confidence grew dramatically from that moment as Mossley’s detiorated despite the best promptings of Rhodri Giggs who had an outstanding game in midfield.
Steve Sheil calmly cleared off the line as Radcliffe pressed for a second goal and it finally came in the 70th minute. One time Mossley trialist Leon Grandison, who had been a handful from his arrival on the pitch, made an opening for himself and casually passed the ball past Matthew Taylor’s dive to send Radcliffe merrily through to a home semi final against NWCL side Maine Road.