Lancaster City 0 Curzon Ashton 2: Dolly Blues are KO’d by their visitors’ late one-two
Lancaster City were back in league action against Curzon Ashton on Saturday.
Late second-half goals from Brad Holmes and Alex Curran condemned Lancaster City to a second home league defeat in a row on Saturday, writes DAVID HALL.
It had been an encouraging start for Jimmy Marshall’s side, Charlie Bailey firing wide from the edge of the box on four minutes.
Danny Whitehead would do the same at the other end six minutes later before Curzon had the ball in the net on 14 minutes, only for the offside flag to be raised.
City’s Nic Evangelinos, making a first start since his return from injury, looked lively as he forced former Dolly Aidan Dowling into a save on 16 minutes before going close with a free-kick 11 minutes later.
Curzon saw another goal ruled out with Joel Amado adjudged to have fouled Brad Kelly as a tense first half ended goalless.
Lancaster were the livelier of the sides as the second half started.
Charlie Bailey had two attempts in as many minutes, both of them going agonisingly wide of Dowling’s post.
Dylan Moonan was just off target when he let fly from range on the hour mark before substitute Steven Yawson almost made an instant impact a minute later, shooting into the side-netting.
The pressure from the Dollies intensified as James Nolan shot wide and they forced a trio of corners, Brad Moonan’s header the closest to the deadlock being broken.
Then, on 73 minutes, Marcus Poscha played a long ball forward where a mix-up at the back between Brad Moonan and Kelly gave Holmes the chance to ghost in and tap into an empty goal.
A loose pass almost gave Holmes the chance of a second goal, only for Kelly to save expertly.
Lancaster’s best opportunity to equalise arrived on 87 minutes as a corner was only cleared to Nathan Caine.
He fired the ball back into the box, where James Bailey turned it towards goal but could only find the woodwork.
As Lancaster’s push for the equaliser intensified, the gaps at the back grew larger.
When George Wilson played in Alex Curran to make it 2-0, it was very much game over.
Lancaster City: Kelly, S Bailey, Thompson, Amison, B Moonan, C Bailey (Cunningham 75), D Moonan, Craig (Caine 47), Evangelinos (Yawson 60), Lawson (J Bailey 75), Nolan.
Curzon Ashton: Dowling, Sobowale, Hayhurst, Poscha, Amado, Nolan, Stobbs, Whitehead ( Wilson 67), Lawal (Curran 57), Roberts, Holmes (Barber-Olufowobi 87).