CHEADLE HEATH NOMADS 0, MOSSLEY 3
Antony Brown continued his red-hot scoring streak as Mossley made it three pre-season wins out of four following their emphatic victory at Cheadle Heath Nomads.
The striker, signed in October from Silsden, scored twice to make it five goals in three warm-up matches.
Brown, who was a threat throughout and the Lilywhites’ star performer, was unlucky not to complete a hat-trick as he also struck an upright.
It was no surprise to manager David Fish who said: “We see Antony in training and what he can do.
“He holds up the ball, brings others into play and is a proper number nine.
“It was not long after he signed the season was abandoned so we have not seen him play many matches.”
Mossley, who were without four regulars, included two trialists in their starting line-up and had four members of last season’s Mossley Juniors’ U16 side on the bench because they were light on numbers.
After a slow start, in which the Lilywhites had several anxious moments defensively, they assumed control toward mid-half.
Trialist striker Connor Morris, recently released by Bradford City, set up the opening goal for Brown in the 21st minute.
Morris broke away on the right and could easily have taken aim himself, but he unselfishly squared the ball to present Brown with a simple tap-in.
Brown doubled the lead seven minutes later heading home Jordan Butterworth’s corner from inside the six-yard box.
Butterworth also went close to adding a third as his drive flashed past the upright.
Mossley goalkeeper Jordan Hadlow made a decent block to deny Kyle Foley early in the second half as they remained 2-0 ahead.
Kain Dean set up Brown who bent a delightful shot towards goal from the edge of the box only to see it strike the upright as he was denied a treble.
Substitute Harry Pratt, who had twice gone close, added a third goal in the 72nd minute, a clinical finish following a weaving run.
And it was great late in the game that Fish gave all four of the four youngsters, Sam Muskett, Finlay Lawson, Joe Winterbottom and Jaymi Lawson, 10 minutes each, putting two on and then replacing them with the other pair.
And what an impact Finlay Lawson made as he almost added a fourth goal. He produced a superb turn to free himself before seeing his shot strike the post.