In Salford it might well be spring but up in them thar hills of Mossley it's always the Arctic. And tonight was no exception as the wind wailed around a ground perched high up in Tameside's Everest region. Like, if the ball gets kicked out of the ground and the goats don't head it back it's likely to kill someone standing below in Manchester.
It's certainly high but the once mighty Mossley are just not very mighty these days. Very unmighty in fact. And a well depleted Salford City team conquered them without too much trouble at all.
After only 14 minutes, Brett Mbalanda flicked in a Glyn Barker cross to open the scoring and despite Mossley equalising five minutes later, it was Salford who dominated a first half that ended all square.
In the second half Salford almost ran riot as the Mossley keeper, Peter Collinge, went from hero to zero. First Brett Mbalanda forced Collinge to make a great save with his legs, but a short time later the hapless keeper spilled a Rhodri Giggs shot to give Salford the lead. The Ammies wrapped up the points when the excellent Mbalanda sent sub Josh Bardsley through to lash in the third.
Any thoughts of a Mossley comeback were also lashed when their centre half, Rob Flint, was sent off near the end for elbowing a Salford player.
This was great result considering that Salford City were so short of players tonight through injury and unavailability, assistant manager Danny Jones was actually named as sub, along with two other players, Ben Beresford and Josh Bardsley. Meanwhile, Mossley had seven sat on their bench. A mismatch if ever there was one. Until kick off, at least…
Photos by Gareth Lyons
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