Season Starts At Last

Clitheroe 0 Mossley 2

Mossley made a fine start to the season with a convincing win in Lancashire!! LOL!! It was a promising start with the side looking full of pace breaking forward, although many defences will probably not be as static as Clitheroe's.


Michael Fish broke from deep and kept going to knock in the first goal to give the Lilywhites a deserved lead. Mossley capped a fine first half when Fish doubled the lead just before the break.


The second half saw Clitheroe push on more but they never quite seemed to have the cutting edge to break the Mossley rearguard. It was certainly a promising start but let's see what materialises over the next few games.

July Pre Season Friendlies

Sorry for the lateness of these posts and picture links, but for those that know me I have had a major flood at home and am currently decorating and flooring/carpetting 4 rooms!!

Anyway back to the footy. Things are currently looking rather promising with a squad of players starting to assemble that seem to have a rough idea of tactical nous. It has been nice to see the ball played on the floor and passing between players rather than a big hopeful hoof. Also, the amount of shots on goal are surprisingly enough resulting in a few goals. It sounds simple but goals last season were about as rare as a British summer. Have we had it or are we still waiting?

As is usual for this stage of the season, I am not sure of many names but below are a few images from recent games. For more pictures, visit my Flickr links.

Hopefully this positive start can be maintained once the real stuff starts in a fortnight.






Flickr Album - Mossley v Droylsden

Flickr Album - Mossley v Hyde Utd

Flickr Album - Mossley v Stockport County

At Last

Mossley 4 Chorley 2

Mossley finally recorded their first win of 2008 with an excellent performance against Chorley. It featured a midfield (haven't seen one for a while) and an attack (well the midfield attacking anyway) that looked capable of scoring goals. Martin Allison's freekick would be played again and again if it had been in the Premiership. However, thanks to SJNR and the glory of Youtube it is out there. My rather blurred image of the goal isn't a camera fault but it was just that my camera lens couldn't cope with the deluge. That weather was pretty tame compared to what has hit parts of the UK in the last 24 hours.

Fish heads Mossley 1-0 up. Honestly. I know it looks like his head has been replaced by a ball, but the camera never lies!

Collinge tips the ball round the post

Blur-o-vision. Allison's freekick flies into the net.

Flickr Album - Mossley v Chorley - 8 Mar 2008

Wakefield Woes

Wakefield 2 Mossley 1

Mossley returned from Yorkshire with the same zero return as the previous Saturday, but with a greatly improved performance. The signing of Adam Morning seem to give an added edge to the performance but in fairness this wasn't the only reason. Whether realising his place could be under threat caused the upsurge in Lee Blackshaw's game or maybe he plays better in March, but he probably had his best game in a Lilywhite shirt. Also, adding Dean Johnson to the midfield gave the centre of the park a more solid appearance. The first 20 minutes saw Mossley playing neat triangles and they were outplaying the hosts, although the only downside was that despite all this possession, not enough chances were created. The deserved goal came just past the half hour when Adam Morning curled a corner straight into the net. The second half was a different story as Wakefield seemed to gain ascendency as Mossley started to tire. They equalized through a neat lob, and a draw would have been a fair result, but football can be extremely cruel when Wes Milnes knocked the ball in at the far post with virtually the last kick of the game. However, plenty of positives can be taken from the performance, with probably the best performance since the FC Utd game in December. If the same spirit and performance can be repeated on Tuesday night against Bridlington, then the first win of 2008 should arrive, but since when does football follow logic?

Martin Allison battles inside the Wakefield penalty area.

Adam Morning crosses the ball.

Mike Fish surges forward.

Lee Blackshaw beats his marker.

Flickr Album - Wakefield v Mossley - 1 March 2008

We'll Wait Till March Then....

Bradford Park Avenue 3 Mossley 0

This latest result meant that the Lilywhites still wait for their first win of 2008. The early play was reasonable in comparison to some of the recent games, but when you miss early chances you knew what would happen. Going into the interval with a 1-0 deficit would have been acceptable but a controversial second goal on the stroke of half time killed the game for Mossley. Despite the assistant having his flag raised for offside, the ref ignored this but allowed play to continue and a freekick in the next passage of play made it 2-0 at the interval. Money talks? Maybe, or it was just a rank piece of refereeing. Sadly, the second half saw another capitulation and it could have been more than 3 in the end. Anyway, we still have football to attend on a Saturday and occasional Tuesday, so maybe our fortunes will change on another Yorkshire trip next Saturday.

BPA clear their lines.

Dave Boardman challenges for the ball.

Lee Blackshaw takes on the BPA defence.

Flickr Album - Mossley v Bradford Park Avenue - 23 Feb 2008

One Point Gained ??

Mossley 1 Newcastle Blue Star 1

A battling performance against an effective Newcastle side. (if only Kevin Keegan could say that!) The game started with plenty of talk about what the finances of the new chairman could bring to the club. However, as the game started it seemed like the afternoon could be another one to forget. It came as no surprise when Emms scored after only 7 minutes. Sadly it was an all too familiar story as Mossley had cleared the ball twice, but the defence seemed asleep as the ball was slung into the far post. Anyone who witnessed the performance at Chorley would have been surprised to see Daryl Weston and Michael Fish on the bench, and injuries to Aaron Kirk and Richard Conway brought two changes with just over half an hour on the clock. Both players seemed determined to earn a start next time out and Fish ran and chased everything. He levelled the scores early in the second half when neat play by Blackshaw who may have been fouled, resulted in the ball falling to Fish who drove the ball home from the edge of the box. This added a little more momentum to the Lilywhites, with Fish and Weston in particular proving very determined to earn a win. However, mention must be made again to Leon Henry who seems adept at playing a number of positions. Fish almost netted a spectacular winner when trying to lob the keeper from 40 yards. Weston had a chance near the end but shot over the bar. Newcastle must have wondered how they left without the points, but without being too blunt, the profligacy of Novak was the cause, although great work from both Connors (Lee and Ashley) rescued Mossley on more than a few occasions. All in all a point gained rather than two dropped, but as the game progressed and Newcastle missed chance after chance, you began to wonder.

It's all very cosy at the back. Watch those hands carefully!!

It will soon be Valentines Day.

More Leon action

A typically battling Michael Fish

A flying volley from Daryl Weston

Flickr Album - Mossley v Newcastle Blue Star - 9 Feb 2008

Not Very Pretty

Skelmersdale Utd 5 Mossley 0

This was really a horror show but in reality it could have been more, as miraculously it was only 1-0 at half time. It showed the lack of depth in the current squad as without Allison, Sheil, Johnson and Garvey we are down to the bare bones. However, that is no excuse for not marking after only 3 minutes when Donnelly was given a totally free header. Sadly things won't improve until Mossley actually have some shots as I don't know many other ways of scoring. The second half just saw the defence capitulate with the exception of Leon Henry who may lack inches in height but he more than makes up for it with his effort. Hopefully we can scrape some points against Radcliffe Borough on Tuesday and build from there, but we need better than was shown in this performance.

Dave Boardman battles for the ball

Paul Quinn tries to shield the ball

Danny Toronczak on the edge of the area

Ashley Connor forces the ball wide

Flickr Album - Mossley v Skelmersdale Utd - 26 Jan 2008

Another Bad Day At The Office

Mossley 1 Bamber Bridge 2

More dropped points at home as Mossley succumbed to another defeat. A bright start saw Lee Blackshaw cut inside and slot the ball home to give Mossley an early lead. The motto about games being won by taking chances was certainly evident when Toronczak shot at the keeper when anywhere else would have given Mossley a 2-0 lead. Bamber Bridge then levelled with their next move. As the half ended Mossley were hanging on a little. the second half sadly saw little from the Lilywhites in terms of attacking football. The side seem rather short of concentration and fitness as games enter their finale and it was no surprise when BB netted a late winner.

Paul Quinn battles for the ball

It could have been 2-0

Lee Connor flicks the ball on

Lee Blackshaw crosses

Flickr Album - Mossley v Bamber Bridge - 5 Jan 2008

A Day Out in Bury

FC Utd 5 Mossley 2

A game that probably summed up the season in 90 minutes. Inconsistent. Mossley started well but were playing a rather dodgy offside trap which the pacy but naive FC attack were falling for every time. Unfortunately, the liner had a bizarre grasp of the offside rule as FC broke and were clearly offside when the ball was passed through. Mossley fought back and deservedly levelled the score when Blackshaw crossed for Hamlet to tap home.

Mossley conceded a penalty just before the break when another pacy break saw Burns dive as Ashley Connor raced out to cover. At least justice was done when Connor saved the penalty.

If you want to see the ball, go to Six Tamesides!!

The interval arrived with Mossley more than holding their own, but in reality the defence was looking edgy against the pace of the FC Utd attack. However, we must have done something right as Patterson was sent on at the start of the second half. Unfortunately, I'm not sure our defence noticed as he bagged 2 in a minute to leave us chasing the game. A pasting was looking a possibility but Lee Connor pulled one back and for a spell it looked like the Lilywhites could scrape a point from the game. Sadly it wasn't to be as the defence managed to fall asleep again and gave away a couple of late goals to give the scoreline a harsh appearance.


I hate to say it but the best team won, but they weren't 3 goals better. As we enter 2008, the defence certainly needs looking at, but I think we can take positives from the game. We have a capable squad but inconsistencies are proving costly at the moment. We can't concede so many goals regularly or rely on Ashley Connor to bale us out. Bamber Bridge will give our backline another stern test at the weekend.

Flickr Album - FC Utd v Mossley