This was the battle of the UniBond North, first placed Curzon Ashton, against UniBond South, second placed Cammell Laird, and only a single goal from the boot of Mike Norton on 56 minutes could separate the sides in a game that was definitely one of two halves.
The first period was a tight affair, with chances at either end few and far between, but the visitors keeper David Carnell had to be alert when a headed ball back by Paul Riley had to be smothered by his legs as Alex Hay tried to intercept the pass, and it was Carnell once again taking a point blank header from John Corrigan at the second attempt after what had been a spell of Curzon pressure.
Five minutes before the break and Norton forced a save from Paul Whitefield after he brought the ball down on his chest inside the 18 yard area. Turning his marker he unleashed a shot from 10 yards out which Whitefield somehow managed to get down to quickly to knock it away from his goal.
The second half was non stop end-to-end with the visiting defence dealing admirably with much that Laird's could throw their way while restricting them to little opportunity to get a clear shot on goal, whereas Curzon created the better of the opportunities, and they should have made the final minutes of the game more comfortable than they did.
Colin Pringle was only inches away from getting his toe to a knock back by Lee Atherton to his keeper but the deadlock was broken on 56 minutes as Norton started and finished a move as Curzon won the ball just inside the Laird's half. With Ryan Moore wide right, Norton played a diagonal ball to his team mate and his cut inside had the visitors anticipating a shot on the run, but with Norton now up in support his pass inside was swept home by the Curzon striker from 8 yards out.
The Laird's response was to play high balls into the area to their tall strike force, supported by the recent signing of the equally tall Greg Stones, at every opportunity.
So stretched did the game become that both sides began to find plenty of space in which to run and it was almost a second for Curzon when Norton on 71 minutes as Norton was on a run for goal. His attempted ball inside the area to Pringle had too much on it and Atherton was able to sweep up and clear the danger.
An attack down the right two minutes later had Richard Tait swinging a ball into the far post but Moore could only head it over the top.
A Laird's free kick with quarter of an hour to go by Joe Gibiliru was full of power but lacked direction and went well high and wide of goal, but two minutes later the same player brought a save out of Carnell as he went down low to his left to take possession of the ball.
Chris Worsley forced Whitefield into a quick clearance from outside his area which went only as far as Norton, who immediately drove the bal back towards goal from 40 yards out only for it to go wide of the unprotected net.
The game should have been over four minutes from the end of the 90 minutes when Worsley had a clear run on goal. With no defender near him, and Whitefield left exposed, for some reason the midfielder put the brakes on his run 20 yards from goal and opted the play the ball back to the feet of substitute Josh Mitten, who's attempted lob of the keeper ended up safely in his hands.
Curzon held their nerve in the four minutes of stoppage time to earn themselves a trip to another UniBond side, Chorley, on 20 October.

Curzon's home game against Woodley Sports on Monday (8 October) was postponed as the Steelmen are involved in a FA Trophy replay, and they have no home game now until 27 October when they play Clitheroe, with three of their next four gamea all being cup competitions of different types.