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Home > 2008-09 Season > Match Reports > Curzon Ashton (07.03.09)

MATCH REPORT

Bamber Bridge 1 Curzon Ashton 0

Northern Premier League 1st Division North

at QED Stadium, Irongate

Saturday 7th March 2009

By Dave Rowland

Bamber Bridge earned all three points in this closely fought First Division North encounter with a first-half goal against a determined Curzon Ashton side who fought all the way. Indeed, only the width of the goalpost was to deny the Tameside club a share of the spoils on two occasions in the dying seconds of the game.

Despite most of their promotion rivals having games in hand, the South Ribble side were keen to maintain their position amongst the play-off places in the First Division North. Brig were also eager to extend their unbeaten run to three games following the recent win at Trafford and the home draw against Skelmersdale United seven days previously. Ninth placed Curzon Ashton, who were nine points behind Bamber Bridge but with seven games in hand, were on a high having won all of their last three games in the league.

New Brig boss Neil Crowe made three changes to the starting line-up from the game against Skelmersdale United last weekend. Paul Horridge returned after a nine year absence to take over ‘between the sticks’ from Matt Wrigley. Tom Ince was moved from left-midfield to full-back to replace injured Jamie Nay with Phil Mitchell drafted in to the number 11 shirt. Sean O’Neil came in to lead the attack in place of the suspended Mike Mason. New signings, midfielder Steve Smith from Newcastle Town, and goalkeeper Aaron Tyrer from Trafford, were named amongst substitutes.

The visitors kicked off facing the clubhouse end and almost took the lead straight from the kick-off. Horridge parried a Nathan Cartman drive from the edge of the box before blocking a Shane Kelsey effort at point black range as the eager Curzon striker attempted to take advantage of the rebound.

Brig responded to this early bout of impertinence by the visitors with a flurry of raids, but the Curzon defence stood firm.

After this early frenetic spell of activity, both sides settled down to play some neat inventive football but chances were at a premium with each defence holding the upper hand.

Brig had a let-off on the half-hour mark when Kelsey sliced his shot hopelessly wide when well placed following some good work down the left by full-back Hasim Deen.

The home side enjoyed a purple patch and Alex Porter almost got on the end of a Phil Mitchell through-ball on 35 minutes but Curzon goalkeeper David Carnell came quickly off his line to smother the danger as Porter bore down on goal. However, Brig got their noses in front three minutes later with their first worthwhile opportunity. Stuart Shepherd picked up a loo se ball inside the visitors box before laying it off to STEVE WILLIAMS. Like a regular marksman, the big central-defender crashed his shot home from close in beyond the exposed Carnell in the Curzon goal.

Stung by the setback, the visitors responded quickly and almost equalised within a minute when Horridge was forced to save with his feet from Alex Elliott following a neat through-ball by Glyn Barker.

Just before the interval Matt Mahoney put in Ryan Bowen for Brig but the resultant shot by the midfielder was competently dealt with by Carnell.

The visitors opened the second period in determined fashion and came close twice within minutes of the restart. A diving header by Barker flew just wide following a Nathan Tayo cross before Ben Hardy just failed to make enough contact on the ball at the back post after a neat cross from the left by Kelsey.

Brig threw the visitors back on the defensive with some powerful play and a Steven Brown shot was saved well by the alert Carnell after the young Liverpudlian had made a fine run down the right flank. Williams then sent in a free-kick from distance and Brig skipper Glen Steel, at full stretch, could only steer the ball into the side netting. Then another Williams free-kick on the hour mark was headed just wide by Sean O’Neil.

Curzon stepped up a gear as they went in search of parity and Cartman came close, driving narrowly wide from a Barker lay-off. On 66 minutes Kelsey tuned the ball past the advancing Horridge after a long punt up-field by Carnell, but it drifted agonisingly beyond the goalpost. The visitors continued to work hard and Kelsey came close on 72 minutes when put in by Tayo. Horridge made a brilliant save ten minutes later when tipping aside a fine drive by Hardy. Then the visitors forced a series of corners but the home defence, marshalled by Steel and Williams, remained impregnable.

Curzon spurned three golden opportunities in the dying minutes of the game. Kelsey headed over from an Elliott free-kick in the 89th minute before Hardy hit the goalpost twice at the death, first from a long raking cross by David Birch and then from a neat cross by Elliot.

Bamber Bridge: Paul Horridge, Matt Mahoney, Phil Mitchell (Steve Smith 74mins), Steve Williams, Glenn Steel, Stuart Shepherd, Stephen Brown, Ryan Bowen, Sean O'Neil (Anthony Murt 78mins), Alex Porter, Tom Ince. Unused Subs: Colin McAllister, Aaron Tyrer

Goals: Steve Williams (38mins)

Curzon Ashton: David Carnell, Danny Verity (Ben Hardy 45mins), Hasim Deen (Nathan Tayo 39mins), David Birch, Chris Worsley, Nathan Cartman, Alex Eliott ,Chris Curley, Glyn Barker (Michael O'Connor 81mins), Shane Kelsey, Phil Edghill. Unused Subs: -

Goals: -

Attendance: 204