Consistency key for Barton's Nash

It would be fair to say that Curzon Ashton have taken to the NPL Premier Division like a duck to water. 

Following their relegation from the National League North, which ended a 14-year stay at Step Two, there were concerns around how a beleaguered squad would take to life in the division below. 

But, approaching the midway point of the 2026/27 campaign, Adam Barton’s side sit just a point behind league leaders Redcar Athletic, having won 12 of their opening 18 league matches. 

Tuesday’s 1-0 win over Ilkeston Town – which saw the Nash soar to second in the table – extended their winning run to five, with their last three victories all coming via the same scoreline. 

Consistency and organisation have been the watchwords for Barton this season, who has spoken at length about his desire for his side to be ‘hard to beat’ since his appointment. 

And this has definitely come to fruition. Tuesday’s victory took the Nash’s clean sheet tally for the season to nine, with only Guiseley and Cleethorpes having conceded fewer goals. 

Following Saturday's win at Stockton Town, Barton was full of praise for his side’s defensive display: 

“It’s a fantastic feeling. These are the wins that make you proud,” he said. 

“Some of the wins we’ve had this season have been fantastic, but these are the ones that I’ll cherish. 

“These are the ones I’ll look back on at the end of the season, if we’re at the right end of the table, and go, ‘that was a great win’. 

“What pleased me the most is that I saw something in the team that I haven’t seen yet - because I haven’t had to really. 

“They came to a place like this and showed a different side. It’s great being at home and playing expansive football, and having more of the play, but here, we just had to stick together.  

“The distances, the structure, and the work rate was so important. And they didn’t only stick to the principles, they stuck together, they backed each other up, and for me, put on a perfect defensive performance.” 

The turnaround in fortunes at the Tameside Stadium has also coincided with the return of club captain, Jimmy Spencer, who missed a large chunk of last season through injury. 

After a spell out, Spencer is now back in the side and back among the goals, having netted four in his last four matches. 

While Barton was complimentary of his skipper’s recent displays, he was keen to highlight that their uptake in form has been a team effort. 

“We don’t go on a training pitch and work on Jimmy scoring those types of goals,” revealed Barton. 

“That’s not coaching, that’s just individual brilliance, and he’s done it a few times this season since he’s been back from injury. 

“I work on the structure, on how the team play out of possession. 

“Individual brilliance can win you games, but the whole team have to participate. 

“I can not have passengers in this team, and we don’t. 

“I feel we’re a lot further ahead than I thought we would be at this stage as a team, with the things that have happened previously. 

“But I’ll keep pushing them, and there’s no excuses now they’ve showed me that.” 

Curzon will look to continue their superb run this weekend, as they host mid-table Quorn.