Curson Ashton 2 Trafford 1

TEN-MAN Trafford produced a tremendously brave second half performance but gifted Curzon two goals to present them with the points.

Curzon started brightly with Ryan Watson screwing a shot just wide in the first minute.

The visitors were being careless in possession and were punished in the 14th minute when a weak back header by Steve Mason fell short of keeper Andy Robertson and Ryan Brooke nipped in to slot the ball home.

Five minutes later, another disaster befell the boys from Shawe View when another sloppy pass deep in defence failed to find Steve Mason and his mistimed tackle on Brooke led to a red card and a free kick just outside the penalty area.

The free kick came to nothing but the 10 men of Trafford were now left with a mountain to climb.

Things could have got even worse for Garry Vaughan’s side in the 23rd minute when Ryan Watson crashed a great drive from 20 yards against the underside of the crossbar with Trafford scrambling the ball clear.

There was little goalmouth action for the remainder of the first half with the makeshift centre back partnership of Lewis Chalmers and Martyn Andrews coping admirably with the Curzon attacks while at the other end, Trafford created just one half chance with Michael Oates flashing a drive across the face of the goal.

Trafford’s second half performance was a revelation as they dominated possession for long spells and almost snatched an equaliser in the 47th minute when Shelton Payne pulled the ball across from the right but nobody was on hand to apply the finishing touch.

Payne then cut in from the right and curled in a superb shot that Hakam Burton brilliantly turned round the post.

In the 65th minute, another mazy run by the mercurial Payne ended with an unceremonious trip on the edge of the penalty area but Trafford wasted a great position by over-elaborating.

Curzon were rocking as Trafford continued to dominate and in the 72nd minute the visitors struck a well deserved equaliser when Michael Oates pounced to guide the ball past Burton from 10 yards.

The visitors joy was to last less than a minute as they fell asleep at a Curzon throw in on the right, substitute Clevon Beadle carelessly tripped Watson and Sam Walker stepped forward to crash the resultant penalty into the top corner past the helpless Robertson.

Trafford were unable to recover from this setback as the impetus and attacking prowess they had shown throughout the second half deserted them, and their tale of woe continued when influential midfielder Tom Schofield was stretchered off with a serious hamstring injury.

But the visitors can take great credit from their performance against the third placed team.