Match Report

FC United slumped to their fourth defeat out of the last five games with a toothless performance at Mossley but the Reds were up against it after young centre-back Adam Turner was controversially sent off on the stroke of half time when the scores were evenly poised at 0-0.

The crucial point of the match was when 21-year-old Turner, making only his second start for the first team, saw red in first half injury time after he was judged to have pulled Gareth Hamlet’s shirt to deny the Lilywhites striker a goal scoring opportunity. The decision seemed a touch harsh and it incensed manager Karl Marginson who asked the referee to explain his actions as the teams left the field at the interval.

In the 45 minutes prior to that, United had the lion’s share of possession but they failed to make it count. Due to the sloping surface at Seel Park, the second half was always, literally, going to be an uphill struggle but the Reds conspired to make the task more difficult for themselves by not gaining a goal advantage that they were probably worth. Being reduced to ten men multiplied the problem.

Aaron Burns had United’s best chance when he made an intelligent run into the box between the defence. The youngster found the ball at his feet but could only shoot straight at the keeper. Moments later, captain Rory Patterson was guilty of wanting to do it all himself and fired into the side-netting when crossing the ball for Burns seemed like a much better option.

Barely five minutes into the second half, Hamlet proceeded to rub salt in the wound by firing Mossley in front from close-range following a scrappy goalmouth scramble. Substitutes Nicky Platt and Cayne Hanley were thrown on as United tried to find a way back into the game and although certain players looked up for the fight, particularly Jerome Wright and Chris Baguley, it was no real surprise when the Lancashire side doubled their lead with nine minutes to go.

Hamlet was in the thick of the action again, forcing stand-in keeper Phil Priestley into conceding a penalty which was confidently dispatched by Martin Allison to clinch the points, leaving the Reds to rue the missed first half opportunities which proved to cost them dearly.