Mossley v Whitby / Stafford Rangers vs Dagenham and Redbridge

Tuesday is my normal cooking day – but I arrived home to find only ‘small boy’ in. When he found out I’d brought no fish home (he’s recently become a “vegequarian”), he took up the offer of food elsewhere ! Hey ho, it meant meat for the rest when they arrived.

Off up to Mossley in good time – took some of our recycling pile with me (it’s all beer cans and 2 litre PET bottles in our house). I knew also that Sky Sports were showing Stafford Rangers vs Dagenham and Redbridge – as a born and bred Staffordian, a conflict of interests could have occurred. I went for the best of both worlds in the first half, as Mossley were kicking “the wrong way” – this means stand in Social Club and “give it some neck” between TV and window.

OFF-PITCH - On 20 minutes Dag & Red got what I called a “dubious penalty” to take the lead.

ON-PITCH- Mossley were carrying on where they’d left from from Saturday – moving the ball around swiftly – and well. On the half-hour “Bingo” tried a cheeky lob that just failed to come off, and a minute later a first time shot from Peter Wright went close.

OFF-PITCH - On 31 minutes a challenge on Robin Gibson should have resulted in a penalty for Stafford – it was a very similar challenge to the one that got the Dag & Red pen. Not to worry though because in time added on Neil Grayson took advantage of a hopeful lob and some poor defending to grab the equaliser for Stafford.

Half-Time – everyone’s OFF PITCH ! In the club there were some stories going round. I’d had a text from Nosmo telling me that Ilkeston were 3-0 up at Grantham. Then we noticed the Ilkeston “spy” in the Ilkeston coat (dead give-away !), who told us that the Grantham goalie had walked out of the club minutes before the start of the game. Word was also afoot that Mossley had put 7 days in for another Ashton United player…we’ll see…(mentioning no names, but the anagram is “ye lion chop”).

The second half saw me outside – sorry Stafford, but I did leave the town in 1975 !! Mossley were really giving Whitby a footballing lesson and it was only a matter of time – 61 minutes in fact - when a crisp through ball to Steve Burke (looked a shade offside to some – but not to me !) saw him finish well to give Mossley a deserved lead. The “footballing lesson” was causing considerable frustration in the Whitby ranks, culminating in a rash “last man challenge” by Farthing,leading to the inevitable red card. Three minutes from time a similar challenge by Wilkinson led only to a yellow card. However Peter Wright curled the resulting free kick past the despairing ‘keeper to give the scoreline a more realistic look. Final score 2-0 to Mossley.

Quickly back into the club to see that Stafford had lost at home again (the Sky headline was “Benson edges it for Dagenham & Redbridge” !!). It was good to see Sky get something wrong though – the old “ticker tape” showed “Mossley 0 Whitby 2” (an error that found its way into today’s “Grauniad” as well !!) although they did manage to correct it by about 2235 – Bob the Mossley secretary reckoned it was down to a phone call from him – such power in one man !!

It was a very upbeat atmosphere in the club after the game – many thought it the best performance of the season by Mossley – those who’d gone to Whitby said it was “more of the same” only this time with the luck going our way. It was however a thoroughly deserved win and gives the Mossley faithful heart for the tricky trip to Ilkeston on Saturday – a mini-bus is being arranged, although I’m going down under my own steam - a weekend at the mother-in-laws in Belper is part of the deal, probably mixed with a few drinks in Derby with the Ilson “train boys” before a “zigzag” to Ilkeston (and probably more beers in the “Observatory”).