City Bounce Back from Defeat

Curzon Ashton 1 - 3 MCFC Reserves

After playing two reserve pre-season friendlies against two Blue Square North Conference sides; City reserves faced lower league opposition in the guise of first division north Unibond league members, Curzon Ashton at their very modern Tameside Stadium. City, just like last Wednesday took an early lead from Adam Clayton, but although they were pegged back, they did not fold like last week and further goals from David Ball and Ched Evans sealed the victory.
City took the lead in the third minute when Ched Evans went up to challenge the ball with the goalkeeper and it was not fully cleared and it fell to Adam Clayton who fired into the far corner to make it one nil.
City started with Karl Moore on the right of midfield and it was not really working and it was allowing Ashton’s left midfielder, Nick Allen, too much space and had he delivered more telling crosses could have embarrassed City earlier. As it was it was the twenty fourth minute when Clayton made a clumsy challenge about twenty five yards from goal. Ashton’s Michael Norton was able to fire a low hard free kick into the bottom corner of the net past Filip Mentel in goal.
Their lead lasted just three minutes however when Clayton made up for his mistake by sending a lovely diagonal ball for David Ball to chase on to and put past the goalkeeper.
City had made a couple of changes at half time which helped the balance of the side. So it was no surprise to see City score a third; this time from the penalty spot. The penalty came about when substitute Michael Daly made a strong mazy run into the box but was brought down by a late tackle. Ched Evans coolly stepped forward to dispatch the resulting dead ball into the net.
Curzon Ashton never really tested Mentel during the game, but even though City should have been given two other blatant penalties, a five one score line to City would have been very flattering to them as they are still not quite firing on all cylinders.
City travel to Christie Park this Saturday, the home of newly promoted league two side Morecambe, for their next pre-season friendly. That should provide a much sterner test, but I am sure City’s side will contain a few more older players in that fixture.


Curzon Ashton: Carnel(GK), Thompson, German, Watson, Jones, Ball, Horrocks, Worsley, Norton, Ogoo, Allen.

Subs: Shiels, Mitten, Gilligan, Riley, Brown.


City: Mentel(GK), Obeng, McGivern, Mee, Breen, Clayton, Moore, D Ball, Evans, Marshall, McDermott.

Subs: Vidal, Daly, Poole, Kay.