26/08/2023
By Chris Gibbs
Pat Maz is at the double!
Trailing 1-0 at half time and still looking for our first league win of the season, there was a fair bit of anxiety – well certainly in the media box at least – that it wasn’t going to be our day.
But whatever the concerns may have been around the ground, they certainly didn’t transpire to the pitch and the boys did us proud with a dominant second half, which yes, this time transpired to goals!
Patryk Mazurkiewicz was our hero on the day with a second half brace – and they were two excellent finishes as well.
The first was a calm strike to the near post and the second – coming five minutes from the end of a thoroughly entertaining game – a majestic piece of skill to leave keeper and defender sat on the deck before sliding into an empty net.
We started the game with real purpose continuing on from the excellent performance at Runcorn on Tuesday, with lots of possession but with the age-old problem – or so it seemed at the time – of turning dominance of possession into a tangible reflection on the scoreline.
Gradually, Mossley, who had started with two wins from their opening three games, started to come into the game and it became more even.
However, it was an audacious piece of skill from an unlikely source that nearly gave us the lead. Kyle Stubbs – yes you read that correctly – fired an incredible shot from inside his own half which grazed the Mossley crossbar. Our vice-captain could scarcely believe what he had almost pulled off. I’m not sure that many of the rest of us could either!
Three minutes before the interval we should have nudged ourselves in front, but Jack van der Laan needed a little bit more composure with his finish and Mossley’s ‘keeper Chris Thompson blocked with his body.
As is often the way with these things, Mossley energised by that let-off went straight up the other end and stuck one in our onion bag – Keaton Mulvey the beneficiary of our defensive unit switching off slightly.
Whatever was said at half-time by Paul and the management and coaching team, worked wonders. Uncowed by the frustration of being behind at the break we came out re-energised winning more second balls, keeping the passing moving and breaking quickly.
We need to give a special shout out to Jack Derbyshire, as it was his two assists that provided the opportunities for Patryk to finish off and the Mazman was happy to oblige. Yes, there were a few hairy moments, but Joe Slinn deputising for James McClenaghan – who was injured in the warm-up – and our solid looking defence held firm for a deserved three points.
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