Words John Edwards Picture Jonathan Moore

Curzon Ashton 1 Altrincham 2

ALTRINCHAM found their scoring touch with two excellent goals and a series of near-misses that could even have yielded two or three more in a thoroughly enjoyable pre-season friendly at the Tameside Stadium on Tuesday evening.

Joe Nuttall headed Alty into a 47th-minute lead, and though danger man Isaac Buckley-Ricketts equalised with a wonder strike soon after, the lead was restored with a fine finish from Max Haygarth in the 71st minute.

On top of that, Nuttall and Justin Amaluzor both went close and Lewis Banks was denied by an exceptional save from the Curzon Ashton keeper, somehow diverting a thunderous shot on to a post, as the Robins turned on the style in the second half.

Trialist Kahrel Reddin was operating on the left and Amaluzor on the right, and the pair carved out the first opportunity of the night between them in the sixth minute.

Reddin picked out his fellow-winger with a pinpoint pass into the area, but a slightly below-par first touch from Amaluzor allowed a defender to crowd him out before he could set himself for a shot.

Curzon Ashton's first chance came in the 12th minute, and they should have made more of it, as James Spencer found himself with just Ethan Ross to beat. The striker was slightly to the left of the goal but should have done better than drag a feeble shot wide of the far post.

Reddin's acceleration took the eye when he went on as a second-half substitute at Chester on Saturday, and it was evident again as Alty threatened once more in the 19th minute.

Cutting in from the left, he surged past his marker before drilling a low shot that keeper Bobby Jones saved at the second attempt.

Nuttall linked up well with George Wilson in the 22nd minute and was on hand in the middle to meet the midfielder's low cross with a first-time effort that went just wide of the right-hand post.

Alty were once more being given a good work-out by Vanarama National League North opponents, with the Nash knocking the ball around in a way that suggested former Alty forward and current player-manager at the Tameside Stadium Craig Mahon shares the same footballing philosophy as our own Phil Parkinson.

Reddin cut in from the left again in the 35th minute, only to fire a shot high and wide. It wasn't the winger's best finish, but it did underline an encouraging eagerness to try and make things happen.

At the other end, Buckley-Ricketts spurned the best chance so far, shooting wide from a great position after opening up space for himself with a superb piece of footwork.

Amaluzor forced a diving save from Jones with a 40th-minute free-kick, but Alty were still searching for a way through as the half-time whistle sounded.

They didn't have to wait long after the restart, as they went ahead with a well-taken goal in the 47th minute.

A cross was swung in from the right by Haygarth and Nuttall timed his run to perfection to connect with a header that had too much power for Jones to prevent it hitting the back of the net.

The lead was almost doubled in the 57th minute when Nuttall met a low left-wing delivery by Reddin with a first-time shot that was smartly turned round the post by the diving Jones.

A single-goal lead is never the most comfortable of cushions, and so it proved after 65 minutes when the impressive Buckley-Ricketts took aim from 25 yards on the left and curled an unstoppable shot into the top far corner.

If that was special, Alty almost conjured up something just as eye-catching three minutes later when Reddin again got to the bye-line with a rapid turn of pace and pulled the ball back for substitute Banks to unleash a ferocious shot that Jones somehow managed to turn on to the post.

The Robins were back in front in the 71st minute when Haygarth drilled a low left-foot shot beyond Jones with the cleanest of contacts to make it 2-1.

Amaluzor linked up with Nuttall soon after and should have done better than give Jones the chance to block his shot when a goal looked certain, and the Alty winger again went unrewarded in the 75th minute after cleverly sidestepping a challenge inside the area but firing narrowly wide of the far post.

The Robins were looking dangerous, but it still needed a top save from Ross for the lead to be preserved, the Alty keeper's razor-sharp reflexes enabling him to get a hand to a fierce angled shot from substitute Michael Afuye in the 82nd minute.

Curzon B.Jones; Poscha, Matthews (Tetlow, 57'), Buckley-Ricketts, Sinclair, Spencer (Kvaternik, 87'), Mols (Bingley, 87'), Hayhurst, Richards, Mahon (Afuye, 72'), Barton (Darby, 72'). Subs not used: Sobowale, Griffiths, Waring, Ollerenshaw. 

Altrincham Ross; E.Jones, J.Jones (c), Cooper, Osborne, Wilson (Newby, 65'), Haygarth (German, 77'), Amaluzor (Weaver, 77'), Golden (Banks, 65'), Trialist (Hussain, 77'), Nuttall. Subs not used: Fallon.

Referee Dean Watson

Attendance 232

Next Up

The final act of pre-season - Bradford City the visitors to The J.Davidson Stadium this coming Saturday at 3pm.

Tickets available here priced £12 over-18s and £5 under-18s or you can pay on the day at the turnstiles (cash only).

The game is segregated, with gates opening at 1:30pm. The fan zone will also be open for home fans.