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Home > 2007-08 Season > Match Reports > Curzon Ashton (01.10.07)

MATCH REPORT

Curzon Ashton 2 Bamber Bridge 0

Northern Premier League 1st Division North

at Tameside Stadium

Monday 1st October 2007

By Dave Rowland

Bamber Bridge lost for the first time this season last night, going down 0-2 in this battle of the titans at the impressive Tameside Stadium against league leaders Curzon Ashton. However, they will feel a little hard-done-by after dominating proceedings for much of the game, especially after the break when putting the ‘top dogs’ under unrelenting pressure. In the end a goal in each half was enough to secure all three points for the Tameside club who have now extended their lead at the top in the First Division North.

After recent success in two cup competitions the Irongate club were eager for a return to the more important business of collecting league points. They were also keen to test themselves against league leaders Curzon Ashton who remain undefeated in the First Division North this season after stepping up from the North West Counties League at the end of last term. Brig were hoping to create a new club record for the number of league and cup games they have remained undefeated since the start of a season. The win over Burscough on Saturday in the FA Cup was the 12th game that they have avoided being beaten this season, equalling the current record set at the start of the 1992-93 campaign when the club were members of the First Division of the North West Counties League.

Brig boss Phil Entwistle was forced into making two key changes to the starting line-up that had given such an impressive display against Conference North outfit Burscough at the weekend. Influential midfielder Danny Mahoney and in-form striker Sean O’Neil, who picked up knocks on Saturday, were replaced by Tom Ince and John Carroll. Enty shuffled his pack playing Stephen Brown in a more advanced roll to fill the vacancy left by O’Neil and Tom Ince once again slotted into an unfamiliar roll at full-back.

Brig escaped an early scare when Douglas Pringle reached a long through-ball on the edge of the visitors penalty area and knocked the ball past goalkeeper McCormick. However, before the ball could cross the goal-line Allan Fleming raced back to clear.

The visitors quickly responded and Glenn Steel went close with a volley after meeting an Alex Porter free-kick after 8 minutes.

The league leaders were looking confident and pushed forward in numbers and their endeavours were rewarded on 10 minutes when they opened the scoring. The visitors defence failed to clear their lines effectively and Michael Norton took advantage latching on to the loose ball and confidently driving his shot home from the edge of the area..

Brig reeled from the setback as the Tamesiders began to impose themselves on the game. A lay off by Norton let in Nick Allen on 15 minutes but his effort was blocked and then a Richard Tait cross was narrowly headed over by Norton on 20 minutes.

The visitors recovered their poise and bounced back when Ryan Salmon was put through on goal following a delightful through-ball from Stephen Brown. However, the young striker delayed his shot and was robbed by a timely tackle by Curzon skipper David Birch.

Brig began to make in-roads through the Curzon defence and the league leaders earlier display of confidence began to ebb away. Despite this, they came close to increasing their lead on 40 minutes when McCormick was called upon to make a fine save from danger-man Norton following a well placed Rhodri Giggs cross from the right.

Just before the break Bamber Bridge were given a good opportunity when Steel was floored on the edge of the Curzon penalty-box, but Adam Tong fired the resultant free-kick just wide of an upright.

Bamber Bridge came out after the break with added determination and dominated the whole of the second 45 minutes.

Curzon goalkeeper David Carnell got down well to deny Matt Mahoney on 53 minutes as the young midfielder put in a ‘daisy-cutter’ from distance following a John Carroll lay-off. Ten minutes later Salmon was desperately unlucky when his header crashed against the crossbar from an Alex Porter cross after excellent work by Glenn Steel.

The South Ribble side were fully in command with the league leaders looking distinctly uncomfortable as they struggled to keep out the eager Brig strikers. Visiting centre-half Adam Tong was pushed forward to give more weight to the attack but the much hoped for breakthrough did not materialise.

The hitherto over-run Tamesiders suddenly broke with devastating effect on 77 minutes to claim the killer blow. Following a breakaway, Nick Allen found himself in space and unleashed a tremendous drive from 20 yards which thundered in off the underside of the crossbar giving McCormick no chance.

It was all over for the visitors who came close twice more before the end when efforts by Brown and Porter were pushed around the post by Carnell. On a night when they had worked so diligently and so tirelessly, Bamber Bridge frustratingly came away from Ashton-Under-Lyne with nothing to show for all their efforts.

Bamber Bridge: McCormick, Fleming, Ince (Watson 87mins), Williams, Tong, Steel, Carroll (Melling 70mins), M Mahoney, Salmon, Brown, Porter. Unused sub: Bishop

Goals: -

Attendance: 270