RAPHOE HAVE HAD a tough couple of weeks and they suffered defeat on Saturday against Mossley at The Glade.
Mossley 2-1 Raphoe
After a good win over South Antrim on Wednesday night they went into this game optimistic.
The game started very evenly with both teams sharing possession. As the half progressed Mossley started to dominate.
Picture caption: Raphoe men in their new kit, sponsored by their fitness coach Adam Speer of Speer Performance. Raphoe thank the other sponsors on the jersey – Tommy Gallagher Injury Management, Letterkenny and The Rusty Oven, Dunfanaghy.
They pinned Raphoe’s defence in and had the better scoring chances. Mossley’s first short corner of the half saw Alan Meehan superbly deflect a drag flick onto the cross bar and away to safety.
Midway through the half another short corner saw the home side take the lead. Another drag flick this time found the net despite keeper Jonny Rankin getting a stick to it.
Raphoe fought hard to regain a foot hold in the game and their best chance of the half fell to Ben Wallace who shot on the volley from a Vincent Devenney pass played into the circle, but the keeper saved well.
At half time coach Rodney Bates was still confident that his team could get back into the game but felt his team were holding back and had more to give.
The Donegal side did up the ante in the second half and were the better side early in the half.
Ten minutes in however Mossley went 2-0 up to take the wind out of Raphoe’s sails. Confusion on the Raphoe goal line between Rankin and William Wauchope gave Mossley an easy tap in to extend their lead. Raphoe had no choice now but to push on and get back in the game.
Two good chances fell to in-form forward Luke Witherow. He fired one reverse over the bar and, after running onto an excellent aerial from Alexander Tinney, he forced the Mossley keeper to make another good save.
Raphoe did pull a goal back when Wauchope atoned for his earlier error. He drove forward from centre back, played a one to with Witherow and finished coolly with a reverse sweep.
Raphoe threw everything at Mossley in the final ten minutes. George Patterson thought he had levelled when his deflected shot went inches wide of the post.
Mossley almost caught a pressing Raphoe side on the break when they threw an aerial from the back. The Mossley forward was through on goal but Rankin came charging out and swept the ball clear.
To Raphoe’s outrage the nearest umpire deemed the tackle a foul by Rankin and gave a penalty stroke, but the second umpire had a better view and advised that the decision be reversed.
Raphoe face Mossley again at home in a few weeks time and will be looking to make amends for dropping three points.
Its a long trip to Kilkeel next, a home game against runaway leagues leaders Instonians and then Mossley again at home to see the season out.
Raphoe: Johnny Rankin, Alexander Tinney, Ben Wallace, William Wauchope, Paul Stewart, Alan Meehan, Keith Meehan, Vincent Devenney, George Patterson, Luke Witherow, Stephen Cleverley, Alan Lyttle.
