Band bemoans Mossley bans

Non-league football: SUSPENSIONS and injuries are piling up for Mossley as they gear up for a hectic spell of Evo-Stik Division One North fixtures.

Starting with tomorrow’s daunting trip to second-placed Farsley, the Lilywhites are facing four games in 10 days and will be depleted following a 10th red card of the season in last weekend’s defeat by Padiham — their fourth successive defeat.

Charlie Anderson was the latest offender, and he will now miss games against Burscough (home) on December 28, Curzon Ashton (away) on New Year’s Day, and Radcliffe Borough (home) on January 4.

Lilywhites joint-boss Peter Band said: “We’ve had to have a word with the lads again about all these cards.

“It’s going to be a struggle to pick a team for tomorrow at Farsley, but that’s the way it’s been going for us lately.”

Midfielder Kyle McGonigle is out for four matches, starting tomorrow, after picking up his third red card of the season, while leading goalscorer Dougie Carroll will miss the Burscough clash after clocking up five yellow cards.

Wayne Welbeck and Phil Drummond are sidelined because of injury, but Luke McCarthy and Louis Horne could be available tomorrow.



CHADDERTON are a team on the up in the North-West Counties League First Division.

Back-to-back wins, during which they scored 10 goals, have fired Steve Patterson and Mark Cook’s charges back up to 10th place in the table.

Tomorrow they will hope to extend their winning streak when they travel to AFC Darwen.

Cook said: “It’ll be a scrap at Darwen, it always is, but there’s a bit of buzz around our squad at the moment, so we’ll be confident going there.”

Striker Niall Sultan will return to Chaddy’s squad after shaking off a niggling hamstring injury.



OLDHAM Boro have no fixture tomorrow. They are next in action on Boxing Day in the eagerly-awaited derby clash at Chadderton.