North Down 3rds Fall Short in Rain-Soaked Battle with Mossley

In torrential rain from start to finish, North Down 3rds faced Mossley 3rds in difficult conditions. With late cry-offs leaving just 11 players, North Down went into the game at a disadvantage against Mossley’s 15-strong squad.

Mossley started the brighter, forcing North Down onto the back foot from the first whistle. Solid defending kept them at bay early on, but Mossley’s youthful side were full of running and found joy down the right wing. A skilful baseline run was followed by a cut-back to the flick spot, and the forward made no mistake with a slap finish for 1–0.

North Down strung together some neat passages of play but struggled to find the final pass. Mossley then doubled their lead in almost identical fashion — again exploiting the right flank before setting up the finish.

With the rain still hammering down, North Down dug in and began to find space of their own in the second quarter. Their persistence was rewarded with a moment of brilliance: Andy Walls took a free quickly, lofting a looping ball into the D, and after a scramble Sam Pyper squared for Robin McMullan who pounced to knock it home. 2–1 at half-time and the game finely poised. 

The third quarter brought chances at both ends, but Mossley’s ability to rotate players began to tell. A well-taken drag flick from a short corner restored their two-goal cushion, 3–1. North Down kept pressing, but as legs tired, space opened up at the back. A long ball over the top released Mossley, who made it 4–1.

The game then sparked into life with an unexpected flashpoint. After a bit of “handbags” involving Wallsy and a Mossley player, another Mossley player charged across the pitch and clotheslined Wallsy, earning himself a straight red card. Wallsy received a green for his part in the incident.

The dismissal gave North Down fresh belief, and they pushed forward with renewed energy. Their efforts paid off when young Tom Egerton found the net to reduce the deficit to 4–2. The final ten minutes were dominated by North Down, but just as a comeback looked possible, Mossley broke again. A long aerial left Peter Gray in goals facing a one-on-one; he made a brilliant initial save, but the rebound fell kindly for Mossley to finish, sealing a 5–2 victory.

Despite the result, North Down’s 11 players gave their best effort. Guy McGonigle and Marcus Newman in particular put in a man-of-the-match display, working tirelessly up and down the left for the full game.

Thanks to Michael Smith and Paddy Smith for umpiring in the dreadful conditions.

Final Score: Mossley 3rds 5 – 2 North Down 3rds

DOTD Jack Bond