Match Report

Curzon reserves fully deserved this victory against the so called big side, Barnton FC of Division One the Cheshire League. On arrival Barnton started to tell of their excuses that they never had a team due to injuries & suspensions which was probable right due to signing on four players before the game.  But of course Curzon went through this a few weeks ago, the leaders Middlewich Town the league leaders are also going through it and every other team will go through it at sometime during the season.  But for the first time this season Curzon met a side that was hell bent on being physical and Barnton proved that in the 1^st 15 minutes when 17 yr old Jordan Leach was stretcherd off with an ankle injury which left him two ‘stud mark’ holes in the top of his ankle due to an ‘over the top tackle’.  
There are a lot of young sides in this Cheshire league but when we talk about young, most teams in this division think 20/21 is young and rightly so. But Curzon have 17/18 yr olds and 10 players in the squad at that age so when it comes to the physical and experienced sometimes Curzon are lacking but its about progress.  So when these players reach 20/21 hopefully they will be physical and experienced & be ready for the 1^st team. Onto the game, Barnton were direct and looked lively up front with both wide-men causing problems especially Scott Taylor but Curzon defended well and going up the hill produced some good play. It was mainly the final ball that let Curzon down but the lively Miroslav Urgya took on the defense with his great close control only to be clearly up-ended inside the box to have Curzon awarded a penalty. 
Captain Adam Buckley duly planted home to take Curzon in at half time 1-0 up.  In the second half both teams battled to take control but then enters the referee who takes control, booking 8 and sending off two, right or wrong this had a major effect on the game, players then get too involved and the two internationals of Curzon in Xavier Reido & Miroslav Urgya must of thought ‘where the hell am I?’. Barnton then got back into the game following a free kick, which Curzon felt was scored in an offside position but maybe at the times should have shouted & complained more. 
This happened after Jordan Gill had been sent off for his second bookable offence so with a reshuffle needed young substitute Hazen Gardner had to make way for an important change which managers don’t like to do but are sometimes forced into doing.  However it was a change that was the right one, Swiss lad Xvaier Riedo came on along with Muses Tahir.  Both players had a big say in the game, Riedo  pushed the team forward and had three good long range efforts himself which came close but forced Barnton  to sit deep. Muses Tahir only just back from long term injury created three great chances for himself but his match rustiness showed. But unlike like last week this young Curzon side not wanting to settle for a draw battled on to the end and were rewarded with the winner five minutes to go when following a great corner from Ben Richardson the ball was dummied at the near post to confused the Barnton defence only to find Tahir at the back post to side foot home. 
With Barnton heads now down Curzon went on to fully deserve to grab the three points.  Barnton’s manager Mark Came after the game was heard saying that Curzon were the worst side to come to Townfield this season well that was the feelings of a losing manager straight after a game so we will leave it at that but for Curzon reserves a great start to their new life in division one but they know they are not the finished article, have loads to learn and will be happy to do very well & stay in this division where they feel they belong.  Next Tuesday 11^th Sept, Curzon re-new their old rivalry with Stalybridge Celtic reserves which they know won’t be easy but do look forward to battling horns together again.  KO is at 7.30pm.
Team: (Goal Scorer(s) in bold), Steve Szklanka, Jordan Leach (Hazen Gardner) (Xavier Riedo for Gardner), Sam Hinchcliffe (Muses Tahir), Jordan Gill, Danny Toft, Ben Blease, Ben Richardson, Nathan Finnigan, Adam Buckley pen (c), Miroslav Uryga , Stuart Ball.

Subs not used:  Darren Riddett (GK).