MOSSLEY manager David Fish sees no reason to panic following the Lilywhites’ run of fourth straight defeats, their worst run of the season.
Fish points to the fine margins with Mossley currently on the wrong side of the line in recent matches which has seem them slip from top spot to sixth place.
But with only three points separating them and second-placed Workington, Fish believes a strong December would put their season back on track.
Before the losing run, Mossley won 4-0 at Runcorn Linnets and 2-1 at higher division Hyde United in the FA Trophy as they were on the crest of a wave.
The four fixtures in December are against 1874 Northwich, Colne, Bootle and Glossop, teams in 12th, 14th, 13th and 16th positions.
Fish said: “Apart from Whitby (Mossley lost 5-0 in the FA Trophy), there has been nothing in it in the other matches.
“Our performances have dropped a little from the levels which took us to the top. I don’t think we have been working as hard as we did and have lacked quality around the box.
“It has been frustrating, but it is not the time to panic, and we are not a million miles away.”
Fish added the team has overachieved by spending several weeks at the top of the table. But he said that created pressure they were not familiar with.
“We exceeded expectations given our budget, squad and age of the group,” he explained.
“Suddenly we became a target as we saw when Workington won 1-0 at Emmaus Mossley Seel Park through a late goal in a game when there was nothing between the teams.
“The way they celebrated the win, you would have thought they had won the league.”
That was followed by the heavy loss at Whitby whose finishing was clinical that day.
Mossley then lost 3-1 at Prescot Cables where Fish blamed individual errors for two of the goals.
Incredibly it was the first occasion this season Mossley had dropped points on their travels having won their first six away league matches.
Fish added there was nothing between the sides in Saturday’s 2-1 home defeat to City of Liverpool, believing they would have gone on to win after Declan Evans equalised early in the second half.
The Mossley manager continued: “The last four results have been disappointing, but we go into December just outside the play offs.
“We need a strong December to consolidate in the group between second and eighth place. We are only one point off third place.”
Fish added fans are realistic about expectations given they have a relatively modest playing budget compared with big hitters like Marine, Workington, Clitheroe, Leek and Warrington Rylands.
“They are appreciative about how well we have done, but realistically at the start of the season we were looking at finishing towards the bottom of the top half of the table,” he said.
Mossley are hoping to have striker Antony Brown back as he has hardly played this season because of a hamstring problem.
But intense rehabilitation has proved successful, and Brown should soon be back in action which ought to increase the side’s goal threat.
Goalkeeper Dale Latham remains on the sidelines through a groin strain which has kept him out for the past month.
Midfielder David Kuba Kuba is out long term after damaging knee ligaments in the home defeat to Workington while Will Shepherd, also a midfielder, is also out with a knee issue which requires a scan to see the extent of the damage.
Ben Richardson (New Mills) and Ben Lowe (Wythenshawe Amateurs) remain out on loan, but defender Paul Riley could be leaving in his pursuit of regular first-team football.