MOSSLEY 2, CHASETOWN 1
Mossley belatedly celebrated a first win of 2024 as they defeated play-off chasing Chasetown at a rainy Seel Park.
Two first-half penalties from Will Shepherd earned a first three points for seven games and halt their slide down Northern Premier League, West.
It leaves the Lilywhites 10 points clear of the bottom two and seven points adrift of the play-off spots which Chasetown would have moved into had they won.
Manager David Fish admitted it was a huge win, saying: “We needed that to get the monkey off our backs.
“We have played well since we beat Stalybridge Celtic on Boxing Day, but not managed big moments in games,” he said.
“It was psychological and about remembering how to win which we did by doing the ugly things well.”
Mossley defended well and restricted the Midlands side to few chances. And at the end of the game, they had great chances to have won by a wider margin.
Fish’s side effectively picked itself as he had seven players unavailable, mainly through injury. Indeed, he was so short of players he could only field three of five permitted substitutes and one of them, Jack Bannister, was unfit to play though he was named on the bench.
Mossley made the breakthrough after half an hour when striker Tyler Berry was fouled in the box and Shepherd sent keeper James Wren the wrong way from the spot.
And eight minutes later, there was a carbon copy as Berry, recently signed from Chadderton, was hauled down and Shepherd obliged again from 12 yards, sending Wren the wrong way in the opposite corner.
Chasetown right-back Oli Hayward halved the deficit early in the second half.
Mossley’s nerve held as they were rarely troubled in the remainder of the match as their game management was excellent. The back four and defensive anchorman Kane Hickman were immense.
In the last 10 minutes with the visitors taking risks pushing forward, Mossley had chances to score further goals.
Alfie Belcher’s 25-yard drive crashed against the bar, Hickman fired narrowly wide and Belcher nearly found the net with a deflected free kick.
The win eases the pressure as the 15th placed Lilywhites head to second-bottom Hednesford Town on Saturday.