Happy New Year – and all that stuff – today it was time to get revenge for the Boxing Day defeat with a short trip down to Ashton United. And yes it is a short trip – so we decided to walk it (about two and a bit miles ??). The intrepid explorers met in the “Fleece” at 1200, having had the nod that it was “game on” – subject to typhoon, hurricane or general wet stuff. If you’ve seen “Sean of the Dead” or similar – you’ll understand – as people walked/staggered/ lurched in –ordering their “hair of the dogs” – or just sitting down “sans beer” – such was the New Years Eve party at Andy and Lynn’s !!
Off to the "Junction"
Hey ho, and off over the hill and down towards the “Junction”, arriving about 1320 – and then the rain began to fall. Slight problem here – the pub is in a mobile phone “dead zone”, so we had no idea if it was to be called off or not. Colin “the Butcher” Broadbent arrived here (see “Sean of the Dead” references earlier !). The pint that he ordered lost about one inch off the top in about one hour, such was his general “state of mind” !! In the end someone went outside and we got the nod – game on.
Go on Col - take the top off it !!
A quick fifteen minute walk to the ground in the pouring rain – but heads were high hearts were ….and general stuff. Time for a quick slurp in the Ashton United Social Club before – game on ….and what a start for Mossley – mucho pressure from the off – and an early chance that Lee Bracey did well to keep out.
If only...."that chance" after three minutes....
Then – disaster – “battery low” on the camera, and where are the spares – still in the bloody charger at home – luckily the Hurst Cross Co-Op was open and nice Mr Turnstile was – nice. There was a helluva queue in said Co-Op (curse this cashless society), but I got some AA’s and got back into the ground just in time to see Ashton score – aaargh – and then see it disallowed – phew. I left with Mossley being on top – the rest of the half saw Ashton with most of the possession, and most of the chances – was this to be another attempt at the “rearguard 0-0 action” as per Telford away and Hednesford away ?? At 45 minutes it was somehow working, despite the disallowed goal and another chance which had come back off the bar via the head of Kevin Gibbins. Fifteen minutes earlier my mobile had beeped “Hyde 4 up !!” Gorblimey was the general consensus on that one….
A quick pass-out – a quick beer in the Social Club (more staff please at the critical moments !!) before returning to the fray. Up to now the pitch had held up fairly well (considering it was already sodden !), but now the rain returned – and it returned in deadly earnest. To me the game had 0-0 written all over it – it was time to play the “hoof ball”, let it stick in the mud and hope for the best. Not so for Ashton – they continued to put pressure on the Mossley defence, stretching them all over the pitch – but not scoring…until with just under 10 minutes to go, a move of quality down the right (I could talk about the Mossley left back being AWOL but …) – Cooney to the by-line, time to cross – and Garry Kharas applies the “sucker punch”. Yes Mossley had chances afterwards, but nothing as clear cut as the only goal of the game.
A quick pass-out – a quick beer in the Social Club (more staff please at the critical moments !!) before returning to the fray. Up to now the pitch had held up fairly well (considering it was already sodden !), but now the rain returned – and it returned in deadly earnest. To me the game had 0-0 written all over it – it was time to play the “hoof ball”, let it stick in the mud and hope for the best. Not so for Ashton – they continued to put pressure on the Mossley defence, stretching them all over the pitch – but not scoring…until with just under 10 minutes to go, a move of quality down the right (I could talk about the Mossley left back being AWOL but …) – Cooney to the by-line, time to cross – and Garry Kharas applies the “sucker punch”. Yes Mossley had chances afterwards, but nothing as clear cut as the only goal of the game.
A bit of water never puts Topsy off ...
I came away disappointed – however some Mossley fans appeared suicidal – one said to me as he left the ground, “That’s it – we’re relegated” – maybe a knee-jerk to a sucker punch (?!?) – disappointed – almost cheated in a way – it should have been 0-0 but for one moment a)of madness in the Mossley defence b) of quality in the Ashton attack. And when I say cheated, I mean cheated in the correct sense of the word, and not the way the the word is used these days.
Ashton keeper Lee Bracey get his bum dirty late on ...
Club for a pint – no a mini-bus has been ordered – out to the mini-bus to find I’m number 13 in a 12 seater – back to club for that beer before the “back-up” arrived – whisking us back to the “Blazing Rag” for more ale. Stayed as long as I dared – Mother-in-Law still at our house – and work in the morning – hey remember work ?? Hence doing this at the late hour before reminding the alarm clock to wake me up at 0645
That was the holiday that was ….3 points out of 9 for Mossley – and 0 out of 9 for Bridge – that 0-4 I’d heard about had turned into a 3-7 defeat – for more fall-out see the Stalybridge message board – it ain’t pretty…
That was the holiday that was ….3 points out of 9 for Mossley – and 0 out of 9 for Bridge – that 0-4 I’d heard about had turned into a 3-7 defeat – for more fall-out see the Stalybridge message board – it ain’t pretty…
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