A dramatic winner in the sixth minute of stoppage time settled this opening day clash in the West Cumbrian heat.
Workington, who included seven debutants and another as an unused substitute, went down 1-0 to a Mossley side who would have been happy to settle for a point.
On a day better for watching than playing, the game had seemed destined for a goal-less draw which would probably have been a fair result.
Then a long punt up field found Workington keeper Jim Atkinson eight or nine yards out of his area.
He is a competent out-field sweeper-keeper, voted the best in the League last season, but he went to trap the ball and it squirted away for him.
It left substitute Oumara Camara, a Mossley debutant, with the opportunity to slot the ball into an unguarded net.
Workington had created their two best opportunities in the first half. Jordan Palmer set up Dav Symington and his low shot was turned round the post by the diving Dale Latham.
From a corner defender Dan Wordsworth cleared the bar with a diving header when he should have at least tested Latham.
Mossley’s one real chance of the game also came from a corner but full-back Jack Grundy, arriving late, couldn’t hit the target with a diving header.
Manager Danny Grainger said: “It’s disappointing to lose in the manner that we did but I thought overall we were just a bit short of intensity.
“It is going to take time with a number of new players for them to adapt to how I want us to play but I’m sure that will come.
“I thought we should have had a first-half penalty when Jordan Palmer went down. He was through and there was no reason for him to go down but generally we didn’t create enough chances.
“It didn’t help that Bobby Carroll was injured early in the game. He fell heavily on his collar bone and we will have to see how he is for Tuesday.”
Reds travel to Prescot Cables for the first away game and their hosts started with a 0-0 draw against Northwich.
Included in the Reds starting line-up was 21-year-old centre-half Ekow Coker, a former Macclesfield Town player who actually conceded two own goals playing for Glossop North End at Borough Park last season.
He had signed late on Friday while another centre-back 20-year-old Niall Moran has joined on a month’s loan from National North side Chorley.
Coker might not be available on Tuesday so Moran, who played as a trialist at Marske last week, might come in to start.
