CURZON ASHTON FC
MATCH REPORTS & STATISTICS
Saturday 22 September 2007
Opponents   Garforth Town
Venue   The Tameside Stadium
Competition   League Game
Kick-off   3.00pm
Attendance   175
Half-Time Score   1-2
Full-Time Score   4-2
Team Line-ups (Scorers in Bold)
Curzon Ashton FC 4 - 2 Garforth Town
Carnell David   1   Spratt Karl
Tait Richard   2   Williams Duncan
Mortimer Alex   3   Kelly Greg
Birch David   4   Carrick Richard
Riley Paul   5   Small Ben
Curley Chris 2 6   Turner Milton
Giggs Rhodri   7   Kamara Chris
Worsley Chris   8   Harding Craig
Norton Michael 1 9   Renshaw Brett
Pringle Douglas   10   Piper Mark
Allen Nick   11   St Juste Jason
Substitutes
Sheil Stephen   12   Muddell Sebastian
Mitten Josh   14   Simpkins Karl
Moore Ryan 1 15   Brown Chris

Match Report

A second half come back, after twice being behind, enabled Curzon to maximum points against their Yorkshire opponents and so maintain their unbeaten start  in the UniBond One North, and had they taken their chances the margin would have been greater.
There was an early fright in the visitors 18 yard area when a telling ball in by Dave Birch went to the boot of Rhodri Giggs but there was too much on the ball which broke away from the forward and his cross back into the was comfortably taken by keeper Karl Spratt and the a cross by Alex Mortimer was headed over the top by Mike Norton. 
Garforth took the lead on 7 minutes when from their second corner of the game poor marking inside the home 6 yard area presented Richard Carrick with a free header to give them a lead and they came close to a second when a run down the left by Jason St Juste was drilled into the penalty area where Brett Renshaw beat Birch, forcing David Carnell to save.
The scores were levelled on 18 minutes when a ball into the 18 yard area was controlled on the first touch by Giggs, and his pass to debutant Douglas Pringle was blocked by the keeper but Chris Curley drove the rebound home from 6 yards out.
The referee, Mr Wright, awarded a dubious free kick awarded to Garforth on 25 minute on the edge of the 'd' which wasn't cleared by the Blues defence and with the ball knocked back in, St Juste made on mistake from 15 yards out.
Norton could only watch as another header on goal drifted wide of the target and then Pringle, taking the ball on the run had a shot on goal but straight into the arms of Spratt.
The second period became a procession towards the visiting goal and it was the cultured right foot of Giggs that brought the scores level on 65 minutes when his cross to the far post was met by the incoming Mike Norton who steered the ball home, leaving Spratt clutching at thin air.
Curzon's run with injuries took a backward step as Nick Allen and Pringle had to be substituted after sustaining knocks to their ankles, to be replaced by Ryan Moore and Josh Mitten, and it was Moore who put his side into the lead for the first time on 81 minutes when he was put through by Curley, and maintaining his composure he slotted the ball past keeper Spratt as he came off his line in an attempt to narrow the angle.
With two minutes of normal time remaining Curley added his second of the game and it was all about timing the run through the visiting defence as he latched onto a delicate pass from Mitten, and like Moore before him, he composed himself by sliding the ball into the net.
The winning margin should have been greater had Mitten converted a cross from the left with just Spratt to beat and the right-hand post hadn't prevented Norton from adding to his goal.