SCHOLARS CRUMBLE LATE ON
TWO late goals from Andy Keogh and Liam Ellis sealed a 3-1 away victory for Mossley against Chasetown at the Scholars Ground.
The scoreline was level at 11 after 87 minutes but the hosts crumbled in the closing stages, conceding two and losing Ryan Wynter to a second yellow in a disappointing finish.
Having gone in front through Jack Langston half an hour in, when Will Whieldon drew Mossley goalkeeper Johny DibaMusangu for Langston to tap in, Chasetown invited the pressure.
The visitors were awarded a spot kick for a foul on Godwin Abadaki, which Max Leonard converted straight down the middle halfway through the second half to equalise.
Then in the closing moments a Mossley corner was fired across and Keogh fired a right-footer beyond chase keeper Curtis Pond to take the lead.
The game was far from finished though, as Wynter saw red for a second bookable offence and Ellis capitalised on the man advantage to score from close range in stoppage time.
Alex Curran gave Colne a win on the road at Newcastle Town, netting midway through the second half in a 2-1 victory at the Lyme Valley Stadium.
It was an action-packed opening five minutes, with Colne taking an early lead when a back-pass bobbled over the Castle goalkeeper’s foot.
But Aaron Bott equalised only a minute later from the spot after Rod Orlando-Young was pulled down in the box.
Curran slotted home on 55 minutes to take the lead and ultimately win the contest, but not before Orlando-Young was sent off, Castle had a handball penalty claim denied and Colne cleared the ball off their line late on to conclude a dramatic day. Ramsbottom United opened their season with a dominant display against
Market Drayton, with goals from Jack Higgs and Luke Thompson sealing the 2-1 home victory.
The first half saw several chances go begging for the Rams before eventually the deserved breakthrough came half an hour in, as Nathan Brown’s ball in was met with the head of Higgs from 12 yards.
The lead only lasted five minutes though when a pass fell to Will Wells, whose scuffed shot was followed in by Charlie Knowles to turn in to an unguarded net.
Chances were few and far between in the second half until substitute Thompson grabbed the points with 12 minutes remaining, heading home after Drayton failed to clear a corner. A double from Atherton
Collieries’ Ben Hardcastle gave them a well-earned 2-0 triumph over Glossop
North End at the Arthur Goldthorpe Stadium.
Peakites’ defender Alex Elliott was caught napping and Hardcastle stole possession, beat a defender and fired low into the net to take the lead on 37 minutes.
Hardcastle almost got another before the break, firing over from close range, but made up for it by doubling the visitors’ lead when he headed past Glossop keeper Russell Saunders a minute after the restart.
James Barrigan’s 52ndminute strike gave Colwyn Bay a slender 1-0 victory over
Kendal Town at Llanelian Road.
Bay put pressure on from the get go, with Craig Pritchard seeing a shot narrowly fire over the bar and Danny Andrews putting an effort wide early on.
Andrews then sent in a corner which reached the head of Will Bell, although he couldn't direct it on target and fired just past the post.
Despite the close attempts, it was goalless at half time, but Bay were rewarded son after the break.
Barrigan split the defence to run clear and smashed the hosts ahead and they held on for the three points.
Kendal increased the pressure as the game progressed but couldn’t find an elusive equaliser, giving Bay a hardfought successful start to the season.