Curzon’s league season ended with a disappointing defeat at the Giant Axe to leave them having collected just four points from their five games since winning the title.

Despite being under par, Curzon were still the better side at Lancaster in a game the hosts had to win if they were to have any chance of making the play-offs, though both sides were strangely lacking in urgency with Curzon also having a 100 point target to play for.

In the event, the result meant that neither side achieved their aim with results elsewhere ensuring that Lancaster finished in sixth place and Curzon having to settle for a record equalling 99 points in a season.

It was Curzon who created the better chances throughout with Simon Woodfords second minute effort going narrowly over, though home keeper Mike Hale would have had it covered.

The first real chance of the game fell to Chris McDonagh on13 minutes but the Curzon striker steered his volley, from Dale Minor’s cross, wide of the post after timing his run superbly.

Chris Rowney then played a ball through for Matty Warburton, but the shot was tame at Hale. Curzon regained possession immediately though and this time Warburton’s shot had more venom but was off target.

Niall Cummins was next to have a go, seizing a half cleared cross, he let fly only to see Hales get enough of a touch to turn the ball over. From the resulting corner, Jon Hunt put his header the wrong side of the woodwork.

Up to this point the home side had done little to trouble Curzon but Lee Dodgson brought the crowd to life with a run that ended with a shot that went narrowly wide, and with half an hour played it was the signal for Lancaster to come more into the game and begin to put the visitors defence under some pressure for the first time.

Chris Young was unlucky to concede a corner when his clearance ricocheted back off him, but it was taken quickly and Hakan Burton had to be alert to save at his near post at the expense of another corner. This one was cleared and Curzon broke quickly, the end result being McDonagh forcing Hale into a save at his near post.

Hale then made a routine save from a Dale Minor volley after the ball had been worked down the Curzon left side, but it was Lancaster who finished the half on top. Tom Kilifin was free as the Curzon offside trap fell apart but Burton made a fine save from the striker, but then, seconds before the half time whistle, Lancaster opened the scoring through Ryan Winder. From a throw-in, the ball was worked across the face of the Curzon box and Winder was in acres of space at the far side and he took a touch before drilling a low drive into the far corner to give the home side the half time advantage.

Curzon stepped up their game in the second half, but Lancaster matched them, determined to hold on to their lead and for the most part they defended well but Hale was still called upon to keep his side in front on more than one occasion.

Lancaster had a miraculous escape on 56 minutes, Cummins beating Hale to the ball and pulling it back for Rowney whose first time effort was lifted over the crowded box, it bounced a couple of feet in front of the unguarded net and struck the crossbar before the defence scrambled clear.

Simon Woodford then headed wide across the face of the goal from a Dale Minor cross before Sam Walker jinxed past two defenders before sending his right foot shot the wrong side of an upright on the hour.

Curzon kept coming and Walker forced Hale into a save from Cummins’ cross and then Warburton ghosted past two defenders but a third blocked his shot as he pulled the trigger.
With 20 minutes remaining, it was clearly not going to be Curzon’s day as Rowney struck the bar a second time, cutting inside and shooting from the edge of the box, his curled effort being a couple of inches too high as it crashed against the woodwork.

With 15 minutes remaining, Curzon went for broke, full back Dale Minor being replaced with attacking midfielder Matty Kay, leaving the Nash to play with three at the back. This gave Lancaster more space in their attacking third and it was almost exploited as Kilifin beat Watson on the touchline and bore down on goal. A square pass would surely have brought a second for Lancaster, but Kilifin went for glory and his rising effort failed to trouble Burton.

City had another chance to make the game safe as Dave Swarbrick beat the offside trap, but he shot tamely at Hakan Burton with seven minutes remaining, and though Curzon piled on the pressure in the closing minutes, it was Lancaster who took the points, and in doing so became only the third side this season to keep a clean sheet against the Nash in a league game.

Curzon have one more game remaining, away at the First Division South Champions Halesowen on 3rd May, and if they are to lift that Trophy they will have to get out of the ‘holiday’ mode they have been in since winning the title.

Match Report by Ian Seymour