Warrington Town 0-1 Mossley, by James Gordon Pictures John Hopkins
WARRINGTON Town’s play-off hopes took a hit with a controversial 1-0 home defeat to Mossley.
Porya Ahmadi’s strike six minutes from time prolonged the visitors’ unbeaten run in 2015, but only after Scott Metcalfe (pictured right) had been sent off for picking up a second yellow card.
It settled a scrappy game that never really got going, with neither side getting grip of the action in a stop-start encounter.
For the first half hour neither goalkeeper was troubled, the first real chance falling for the threatening Tom Pratt, denied by a good save by Karl Wills, who was the busier of the two ‘keepers.
Warrington didn’t create a clear cut opening in the first half and were restricted to a wayward Ben Wharton shot after good work by Stephen Tames in the build-up, and then Scott Metcalfe glanced a header wide from David Mannix’s free-kick on the stroke of half time.
The tempo increased in the second half and the game opened up at either end.
Lewis Field volleyed wide from Wharton’s touch, and then substitute Shaun Robinson created a chance for himself at the other end for Mossley, forcing a smart stop from Wills.
Town’s best chance came on the hour mark, through patient build up play in midfield, creating space for Tames on the right hand side and his superb cross to the front post was flicked on to the underside of the bar by Wharton.
Mossley were getting increasingly dangerous on the counter attack, with Robinson and Pratt terrorising their markers on both flanks.
Robinson again brought a good save from Wills, and Ahmadi fired over the rebound from close range, before Wills had to be sharp again moments later, to turn away Kyle McGonigle’s low free kick.
The game’s main talking point came 15 minutes from time, when Metcalfe appeared to win the ball in a tackle on the edge of the Mossley box, only to see the referee pull out a second yellow card which saw frustrations boil over on the touchline.
And Mossley took full advantage of their extra man, McGonigle opening up the Town defence with a short pass to find Ahmadi in the box, and he steadied himself and found the roof of the net.
The win extends Mossley’s lead over Warrington to six points in the race for the top five play-offs in Northern Premier League Division 1 North.
Warrington: Wills, Field, Hardwick, Mannix, McCarten, Robinson, Kinsella, Burke, Wharton, Tames (Booth), Metcalfe. Unused subs: Corrigan, Turner, Gahgan, Bannister.
Mossley: Flynn, Henson, Bennett, Dean, Granite, McGonigle, Fish (Robinson), Barrow, Keogh, Pratt, Ahmadi. Unused subs: McDonnell, Mukuna, Anderson, Farrimond.
