Curzon through after derby win

Curzon Ashton made it through to the semi-final of the Manchester Premier Cup on Tuesday after a 4-1 thrashing of local rivals Stalybridge Celtic. 

It was visitors Curzon who drew first blood in the derby with Michael Afuye cutting inside from the right and firing the ball into the far corner to put his side ahead with just five minutes on the clock. 

Hosts Celtic thought they had levelled it moments later when the ball was clipped in towards Joe Duckworth who slotted past Josh Ollerenshaw only to be denied by the linesman’s raised flag. 

The Nash strengthened their grip on the tie just past the hour mark when goalscorer Michael Afuye turned provider, laying the ball off to Ben Darby on the edge of the area who calmly slotted home to double his side’s lead. 

After a number of chances went begging for Celtic in the second half, they were punished 10 minutes from time when substitutes Stefan Mols and Isaac Buckley-Ricketts combined with the former latching onto the latter’s cutback and arrowing the ball into the bottom left corner. 

The home side did manage to find a consolation goal in the final minute of the 90 when Joe Duckworth fired home from close range, but Curzon regained their three-goal advantage deep into added time when Stefan Mols coolly dispatched his penalty after a foul on Isaac Buckley-Ricketts to put the icing on the cake. 

“I’m a little bit disappointed we didn't perform to our usual standards but at the same time a win is a win,” Curzon player-manager Craig Mahon told the Reporter following the victory. 

“The whole point of tonight was to rest players and give a run out to those who needed minutes, and to come out of it unscathed is a bonus ahead of Saturday’s game.” 

Despite the result, Stalybridge Celtic manager Jon Macken saw positives in his side’s display. 

“I thought performance wise we were very good,” Macken told the Reporter. 

“We had opportunities to score but we didn’t take them, and you get punished at this level if you don’t.”