MIKE Moseley’s season-ending injury rightly diverted the attention of Albion fans on an afternoon to forget.

The front man will have to wait until next term to make his 350th appearance in red and white after breaking a bone in his leg in a first half collision with Carlton goalkeeper Antonio Barcherini.

Witton’s play-offs hopes perhaps left the pitch with him.

Gary Finley’s men have lost more league matches than any other team in the top ten – they have played more too – leaving the gap to fifth place feeling bigger than four points.

But shorn of at least half a dozen certain starters through injury and suspension, their disjointed display should have surprised nobody.

They were two-goals adrift even before Moseley’s enforced exit as Carlton cruised to a league double, keeping alive their own feint hopes of finishing in the top five.

Tris Whitman drifted past Ross Lloyd down the left flank on 12 minutes, his cross helped on by Justin Jenkins to leave Anthony Griffith with a simple task to head the ball over the line from under the crossbar.

Albion attempted an instant response, Lloyd sending Danny Warner into space but Brian Pritchard could not generate enough power in his volley to trouble Barcherini.

Brad Maylett’s clever pass then gave Moseley a sight of goal, but Danny Fletcher recovered to block his route as he prepared to shoot.

Carlton scored a second time on the half hour, this time captain Grant Brindley squeezing a close-range header past Witton custodian Jack Baker at his near post from Griffith’s centre.

The Millers might have added a third two minutes later, but Whitman’s attempted lob was weak after he had ghosted on to Barcherini’s huge punt forward.

Moseley left the field on a stretcher after stretching for a through ball and feeling the full force of Barcherini’s body pushing the other way.

It was accident, although referee Richard Ackers’ award of a free kick to the visitors only added an unnecessary insult to the 30-year-old’s injury.

Witton, reshuffled for the umpteenth time for the start of the second half, enjoyed their best spell upon the restart.

Substitute Callum Tai-Hogan sent over a cross that fellow replacement Colin McAllister nodded down for auxiliary front man Ryan Broadhead, but a defender deflected his shot off target.

Peter Heler flashed a shot wide, then Pritchard was inches away from meeting the same player’s back post cross with his head.

Their momentum dissipated when Jenkins’ guided a header home on 57 minutes from Griffith’s curving cross, ending the contest right then.

There was time enough for Maylett to make his entry for the miss of the season competition.

The former Northwich Victoria wide man, sent clear by Broadhead’s brilliant flick, rounded Barcherini only to stop the ball with his next touch rather than rolling it across the line, allowing Fletcher to block his delayed shot next to the post.

Baker spared Albion further embarrassment at the other end when he denied Whitman.

Heler’s dismissal – a third red card in Albion’s past four matches – for his lunge at Brindley was a statement of his team’s frustration.

Star Man Ryan Broadhead. Hugely impressive performance by the former Middlewich Town man. Has shown an adaptability enough to play in defence and midfield already in his short spell at Witton, but stood in as an emergency front man following Mike Moseley’s enforced exit. His strength and ability to hold on to the ball until teammates arrived in support was a feature of the home team’s second half display.

Witton Baker (GK), Lloyd, Pritchard, Ruffer, Warner, Maylett, Broadhead, Jones, Heler, Brodie (Tai-Hogan 46), Moseley (McAllister 45)
Subs not used Grundy (GK)
Booked Broadhead (ungentlemanly conduct), Ruffer (foul)
Sent off Heler (foul)

Carlton Barcherini (GK), Corrigan, Brindley, Hayes, Fletcher, Ball, Mitchell, Gent, Griffith, Jenkins, Whitman
Subs not used Norris, Holmes, Chaplin
Goal Griffith 12, Brindley 29, Jenkins 57
Booked Brindley (ungentlemanly conduct)

Referee Richard Ackers (Liverpool)
Attendance220