ABBEY HEY 0, MOSSLEY 4
Joint-manager Dave Wild described it as a “professional performance” as Mossley recorded an emphatic victory at Abbey Hey in the first round of the Manchester Premier Cup.
“The only disappointment was our finishing as we could have hit double figures, but at least we are creating chances and it wasn’t a scrappy 1-0 win,” explained the Lilywhites’ boss.
Wild was right as Mossley struck the frame of the Abbey Hey goal three times and also had some glaring misses.
And it was such a one-sided contest that Mossley keeper Jonny Diba Musangu didn’t have a shot to save.
Mossley, without the injured Max Leonard and with other key players rested, still fielded a strong line-up, an indication as to the strength of their squad.
While some teams treat the competition lightly, Wild is not one of those, declaring it is one he wants to win.
Mossley had to be patient as it took until the 20th minute for them to make the breakthrough when recently-signed defender Stephen Mason scrambled home his first goal from the club from virtually on the goalline from a corner.
The second goal after half an hour could not have been further removed, a screamer from striker Ben Halfacre from outside the box.
Aaron Dwyer added the third early in the second half, a fabulous solo effort as he dribbled down the left almost to the byline, cut back inside before bending a shot low into the far corner of the net.
Left-back Izzy Miranda rounded off the scoring with his first goal for the club in the 85th minute, curling in a delightful shot from outside the box after a corner was only partially cleared.
In the one-sided second half Dwyer and Mason Duffy both struck the upright and Halfacre the crossbar while Danny McLaughlin missed a sitter and Halfacre, with better finishing, would have had three or four goals instead of just one.
Mossley: Musangu, Richardson, Miranda, McGonigle (McLaughlin 46), Mason (Jeffs 60), Evans, Dwyer (Downey 77), Quansah, Halfacre, Keogh, Duffy. Subs (not used): Fish, Harrison.