Weather Beaten Blues

All cup competitions are steeped in history so no better place to try to emulate our route to last years final than Seel Park , home of Mossley for the past 96 years. The weather was diabolical but braved by 103 hardy souls. Radcliffe with a six goal haul at the weekend and already victors at Seel Park this season must be confident. Mossley fielding 14 goal Mark Fish and showing steady league form will be no push over at their Tameside historical home.
The injured Sampson is replaced at right back by Battersby, Lee Unsworth returns after injury, the luxury of a full bench with new name Gary Furnival waiting in the wings. The game kicks off in heavy rain with Boro the first to attack, Battersby throws long for Howson to head the ball into space, he delivers the cross but Griff Jones can't reach the ball it is cleared to Hill who cuts inside to shoot wide. Early exchanges sees both sets of players frantically trying to adapt to the conditions.The Lillywhites show promise with Challinor, Fish and Hanlon showing early intentions. Captian Si Kelly receives treatment as play goes on , he gets back in the action after 4 minutes. As he returns Ryan Cook crosses well into the box ,Kelly reacts quickly in front of the inform Fish to clear. Some good interchanging of passes is practised by both sides in the middle of the park. Referee Roberts shows good common sense when he plays the advantage perfectly when Mossley look to attack.Fish looking likely is marshaled well by Dawson to restrict his chance. With players slipping and misjudging balls that die on the bounce it is evident mistakes will be made during the game, i dont believe anybody will be booed (Mr Ashley Cole) as great respect is due to players trying to play and the groundstaff for making it possible. Mossley find some space as Hanlon & Dignan find Dawson clearing is lines well. 23 minutes in and Mark Jones plays Chappell in with a great ball , Chappell waits and then delivers with no one available, as the ball is cleared Mark Jones shoots to only find the defenders boot. Connell concedes the free kick after both he and Howson close down well. Simon Wood delivers and dawson clears for the corner. Corner is too long and move dies. Fish working wide right crosses for Bailey who can only scoop over the target. Mossley are given a goal chance when Priestley on clearing can only find Cook who sets up Hanlon to fire across Priestley and miss the goal . Half an hour as passed when Battersby gets a ball down the line to Howson , inside to Griff Jones who gets back to Howson , the ref calls back for the foul on Griff Jones. The free kick sees defenders clear, only to Mark Jones who when falling fails to threaten the goal. The home side are controlling passes and look to always feed behind the visiting defence. A well disciplined Mossley defence is catching forwards increasingly offside. Mossley's Cook is restricted to long range work. Hill is providing most of the quality passes and asks Griff Jones to hold Mark Jones arrives and smacks the ball wide right of goal under pressure. Howson and Griff Jones panic the keeper as they bear down , the mistake comes but only after a free kick goes against the wall. Mark Jones picks a perfect pass after good work in the corner by Battersby , Battersby is on the return and looks for goal only to be brought down, PENALTY! Howson steps up, way up wide and not handsome. Mossley pick up tempo, a wide ball invites Dignan to cut inside and let fly across Priestleys outstreched arm it batters the post and comes back out to safety. Mossley go again and Blackshaw as the favour of the wind when his shot/cross flashes across the box and out.On the stroke of the half Priestley is left scrambling across goal to gather Dignans effort on goal . The corner he concedes is cleared from under the bar, the 2nd corner stays in but hits the bar, just as the damp crowd will now be doing.
The second half begins in more rain with players emerging with kit 2lb heavier than the first half. Mossley bring on Dan Egan for Mike Fish who looked to be struggling in the first half. The ball is sent back towards the hosts keeper that sticks invitingly in the mud on the edge of the box, Howson reacts and is stronger in the tackle, as the ball squirms away he is left with an open goal to tap in to , 1-0 to the Boro and Howson makes amends his penalty miss. Howson will have enjoyed that after missing two pens in two games and not on the sheet for a team scoring six. He looks a yard short over the last few games, but a player of his calibre will return to form soon. The lillywhites continue to play neat football despite the mud and build well up to the last third. Kelly is needed to read the intentions to break a move that with one more pass could have spelled danger. Their persistence is rewarded on 59 minutes when the boro defence foul as they try to clear from the increasing heavy pitch. Lee Blackshaw steps up to strike well the ball takes a wicked deflection off the wall leaving Priestley flat footed in the rain. All square. Game on. Both sides as well as the pitch would not appreciate 30 minutes more.Kelly plays his pass of the match to find Griff Jones coming deep as he turns the ball is sent too long. Fresh legs are introduce when Mossley replace Lee Blackshaw with Leon Henry. Boro try again with Chappell finding the corner he is out muscled by the Mossley captain Kay. he clears to Hill who instinctly pushes the cross over the six yard box that Howson just cannot make. Dawson defending from the goal kick plays the ball back too strongly and lets Dignan in , he pushes into the box and elects to shoot , into the side netting. Mossley gamble with extra time looming and bring on the 3rd sub Dignan off and Danny Self on. The fresher legs of Henry see him overlap and get in a good cross destined for Egan , the ball is cut out by the toe of Dawson. Griff Jones is taken off and Michael Oates enters the mud fest. The home side have looked the stronger in the latter half of the game the introduction of the two subs settles the game as Self plays a great pass into the run of Egan he fires superbly and sees his shot fly into the net 2-1 the Lillywhites. Boro have a final fling when Hills free kick goes into the mix as the ball is scrambled out Mark Jones pings one in but is blocked and cleared to Unsworth who sends back in Connell reaches and makes contact only for the side netting to ripple. Both sides played as much football as the conditions would allow and is a credit to each team that they attempted to pass through the mud. Some very tired legs left the Field leaving the groundsman some very hard work to do. Radcliffe have another cup competition to face on Saturday, they will be watching the weather forecast as they head for the 115 year old Gigg Lane,

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