Mossley 0-0 Clitheroe 16/10/2021 Att. 421

With both teams setting out their stalls this season for a tilt at the play offs at least, it was no surprise that this proved to be a tight encounter. Equally, with memories of last season’s drubbing at the hands of the Blues still fresh, Mossley were keen to make sure that they were not physically overwhelmed again, and this translated into 90 minutes of crunching tackles and high balls from both sides.

Clitheroe shaded the early exchanges, with Ben McKenna fouled 25 yards away from goal and Cole Lonsdale whistling a fierce free kick across the face of goal. Jake Connelly, back from his three match suspension, was released behind the defence, but as he approached the business end of the pitch, he held off pulling the trigger and he ultimately ran the ball out of play.

Ross Dent was next to try his luck, and as he received a free kick which had been dinked over the defence, the keeper hared out to save bravely at his feet. However, slowly but surely the home side came back into matters. Chris Thompson saved well after Harrison Burke was lobbed leaving the striker free.

Thompson then made a smart save at the foot of his post after a low cross was headed goalward, before the Mossley left winger spurned the best chance of the game after beating Jack Burrows on the flank and blasted his shot over the bar when more composure would have brought greater reward.

The second half continued broadly in the same full blooded vein, with the home team kicking down the hill and scenting a goal. Despite this, Clitheroe half chances kept coming. Great interplay between McKenna and Sefton Gonzales saw Richie Baker hit the ball over before Mossley had a big shout for handball after a corner was put into a forest of players.

The crucial incident saw the ball driven into Billy Priestley’s midriff from close range and the referee waved play on. From a high bouncing Mossley goal kick, Burke and Priestley effected a pincer movement on the opposing player and Priestley was shown yellow. And then Clitheroe started to find their range. McKenna was flattened on the edge of the box, with Lonsdale’s subsequent driven free kick flying awkwardly off a Clitheroe head.

Minutes later, the Mossley left back tried to shepherd the ball out of play, but McKenna was too cute and as he dispossessed him and set off along the bye line towards goal, the ensuing foul earned the defender his second yellow and an early bath. Mossley were rattled and the tackles started to fly, with Burke chopped down in full flight a notable victim. Burrows screamed a fierce shot over the bar as the visitors turned the screw, and at the death Gonzales just failed to make contact with an inviting corner and then saw his shot deflected over as he sprang the offside trap.

In the end, a draw was a fair result, but both sides could argue that they could have shaded it.

Team : Chris Thompson, Jack Burrows, Cole Lonsdale, Gary Stopforth, Harrison Burke, Billy Priestley, Ben McKenna, Richie Baker, Sefton Gonzales (c), Ross Dent (Zack Clarke), Jake Connelly (Rhys Long). Subs - Rhys Long, Zack Clarke. Not used - Maine Walder, Ricardo Pembele, Harry Jones, Louis Jeanne.