CURZON ASHTON 3, CARLISLE UNITED 3
The dawn of a new era at Curzon Ashton is already looking bright with their latest encouraging pre-season friendly a 3-3 draw at home to Carlisle United.
The Nash extended their unbeaten run to five warm-up games in their biggest test so far as Carlisle, who are managed by Manchester United legend Mark Hughes, were in the EFL last season.
New Nash manager Mark Bradshaw has stepped up from No 2 as successor to Craig Mahon who left to take charge at full-time club AFC Fylde.
He had a major rebuild with four key players leaving to go full-time – Isaac Sinclair, Isaac Buckley-Ricketts, Bobby Jones and Stefan Mols. They joined Devon Matthews who left in January to join Accrington Stanley.
Bradshaw has kept a sizeable core of the successful side of the last two seasons, but there have been 10 new arrivals.
He said: “We have had to make more changes than we wanted, but we had come to the end of the cycle.
“Certain players had ambitions to go higher, and they had earned the right to do so.
“We have signed some exciting, young players who are full of energy, and we have high hopes of them.
“I want us to pay entertaining, dynamic football and to score goals. In the last few years our home form has not been good and we need it to be better.
“We will be trying to score more goals and play attractive football and get more fans down here.
“You cannot read too much into pre-season. The first league game against Leamington is the most important thing.”
Bradshaw is pleased how pre-season has gone but added the team in nowhere near they can be in terms of maximising their full potential.
He said Carlisle, late replacements for Oldham Athletic who pulled out on Saturday through injury and illness, were ideal opponents, continuing: “We want games where you are pushed and to break barriers when players have lost sharpness over the summer.
“We showed character and quality, especially after falling behind.”
Carlisle got off to a flyer with David Ajiboye, once of Peterborough United, firing them ahead inside five minutes with a superb strike.
Curzon were level in the 32nd minute when new centre back Joel Amado found the net with a bullet header from Jack Stobbs’ corner.
Carlisle were gifted their second just short of the hour as they lost possession trying to usher the ball out for a goal kick. Jed Abbey fired over a cross from the left for Cedwyn Scott to have a simple finish at the far post.
Curzon were, likewise, handed their equaliser on a plate not long after when centre back Jack Porter was robbed. Joseph Rodwell-Grant raced away and square the ball to an impressive trialist striker who cooly finished.
The trialist also won Curzon the penalty which Alex Curran converted to put them 3-2 ahead after he was clumsily and needlessly charged into by Cameron Harper.
Three minutes later and it was 3-3 when attacking right back Archie Davies rifled home an unstoppable drive from 25 yards.
When you viewed the game as a whole, a draw was on reflection a fair result as neither side deserved to lose after putting on an entertaining show.