National League North side Curzon Ashton showed a clinical edge to secure success over Mossley to win the Manchester Premier Cup at Hyde United’s Ewen Fields on Monday night.

An unchanged Mossley line up gave the game everything they had but the Lilywhites inevitably fell short against a side two divisions higher in the non league pyramid.

It could have been so different for the Lilywhites who had enough chances to swing the game but were hit by swift and effective Curzon counter attacks.

With the wind in their favour in the first half Curzon edged the game in the possession stakes showing good skill and incisive passing. They took the lead on 19 minutes when a long ball out of defence saw Ryan Brooke find space to race through and slot past the stranded Josh Ollerenshaw.

For a few minutes it looked like Curzon might run away with it but Mossley eventually found a rhythm with Abadaki, Keogh and Gary Gee prominent and after a spell of pressure drew level on 41 minutes. Curzon failed to fully deal with a Mossley corner, Adam Jones hooked the ball goalward and Max Leonard reacted to volley home from six yards to take the game into the break with the scores level and all to play for.

After a brief Curzon flurry at the start of the second half which saw Ollerenshaw save from Deakin, Mossley again got a foothold and began to press Curzon back.

Leonard looked a certain scorer when he turned quickly in the box after good work by Fish but his close range effort was superbly saved by one time Mossley loanee Cameron Mason.

Curzon edged back in front on 68 minutes somewhat against the run of play. Wall’s cross found it’s way via deflections to Louis Wardle who appeared to mis-hit his effort but the ball looped agonizingly over the heads of covering defenders and somehow dropped into the net. Harsh on Mossley.

Ollerenshaw kept Mossley hopes alive with a good save to deny Luke Wall as Curzon again hit Mossley on the counter.
With the clock ticking down substitute Dieter Downey had a great chance to level but his cleanly hit powerful volley agonizingly struck the top of the bar.

Mossley threw men forward as the game entered stoppage time but after taking an age to find an angle for a cross possession was carelessly lost, Curzon again broke away at pace as the impressive Luke Wall raced clear to slot home the decisive third goal.

Mossley didn’t give up and almost reduced the arrears but Adam Jones couldn’t get enough purchase on his header to trouble Mason and Curzon were home and dry.

Wiz

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