Slowly, quietly and beneath the radar the Lilywhites have assembled a seven-game unbeaten run stretching back to Boxing Day which has taken them to tenth in the Evo-stik NPL first division north.
At any other time it would have been impressive enough to earn an award but Mossley missed out on the January club of the month to Warrington who played more matches.
“The lads usually don’t like it when I talk about us having 15 or 16 cup finals ahead of us but we’ve got to do our best to make it into the play-off places. We can’t just settle for midtable,” said Band.
“A few things have got us to this position. One of them is loyalty - 80 per cent of the players have been with us since Lloyd and I took over at Seel Park and they’ve taken on board what we have to say.
“We’ve also had a steady squad. We’ve been relatively lucky with injuries and been able to name the same team. Added to that, Lloyd and I have a bonkers management style. We love jokes and nicknames. Sometimes the team sheet contains nothing but nicknames. That’s built a togetherness that’s taken us forward.
“People are keen to join us but we’ve also made some good signings. Sam Robinson, who we got from Matlock, puts me very much in mind of Colin Little and Simon Yeo.”
If promotion is something of a tall order for Mossley, winning the Manchester Premier Cup ought to be within their grasp. On Tuesday they play Irlam at Seel Park in a semi-final, with the winners facing Radcliffe or Curzon at Manchester City’s new mini-stadium on the Etihad Campus.
The Lilywhites have no game on Saturday so Band and Morrison are planning to watch Irlam v Cheadle. Band said: “Irlam have beaten both Droylsden and Hyde but I have a feeling neither of those clubs gave them the respect they deserve.
“I’ve been in these games as a player and I know you can think the game’s won without trying. I’m not going to let that happen. I’ve won the premier cup as an assistant and now I want to win it as a manager.”
Mossley’s only injuries worries are Matty Purcell, who has an ongoing ankle problem, and Dougie Carroll who has suffered a succession of knocks and illnesses, most recently tonsillitis.
Striker Mitchell Bryant has been banned for the season for an incident involving referee Barry Cropp after the game at Kendal Town in September.