A closely fought game between two sides nearing the end of their pre-season schedule saw a game of two halves containing few chances for both sides which ended all square. It was a match in which both teams efforts more or less were cancelled out by the other team, although it was a good test for both sides to see where each was up to in their fitness regime.

Both sides started well and had plenty of possession but neither could make it count until Curzon striker Niall Cummins turned a defender before curling an effort around another oncoming player and the keeper to put the home side in front on 34 minutes.

It was one of the only real bits of quality in the game, with the other being a superb flowing move straight after Cummins fired Curzon ahead for The Coasters. The move was started by the trialist right back as he played wonderful interchanges with a trialist midfielder and the move was finished off by a trialist striker but his shot was blocked and cleared.

It took Fylde right up until the 90 minute mark to find their equalizer and it came from a Curzon Ashton corner. The poor delivery was collected by Hinchliffe in the Coasters net, he kicked it downfield towards Karl Noon who, at the second attempt, put the ball past Burton in the Curzon goal.

It was a deserved equalizer from Fylde after they put on a good show in the second half and they were unlucky not to have scored more than that one solitary goal. Michael Potts went very close with a bicycle kick just before the equalizer but it was well kept out by the impressive Hakim Burton in the Curzon goal.

Danny Lloyd was brought on at half time to spark the game up and he did so with his runs down the left wing culminating in the home defence becoming more stretched as the second half progressed. The first half was dominated by the home side but The Coasters really came into the game in the second period.

While Curzon will look at the game and think they were unlucky not to have held on for the victory, from a Fylde perspective it was slightly frustrating not to get a few more goals and see off the team from Tameside.

After the match, Fylde boss Dave Challinor added, ‘It was a good fitness exercise for a few of the lads and it was good to see some of the trialists in action. It was important to get the late goal to draw the game but we need to kick on and knuckle down in training this week’.

He also added, ‘The weather wasn’t great but I felt we did okay. Plenty to work on and we’ll look to do well on Tuesday at home against Bolton. We still haven’t had a full squad to choose from yet with players going away and such. Training will be stepped up for sure’.

Curzon Ashton: Burton, Fitzgerald, Walker, Hunt, Watson, Rowney, Wright, Walker, Cummins, Brooke, Watson.

Subs: Schofield, McCarthy, Kay, Jackson, Crothers, Mack, Hunt. (All Subs Used)

Goal: Cummins (34)

AFC Fylde: Hinchliffe, Trialist, Sumner, Langley, Hannigan, Barnes, Trialist, Tomsett, Trialist, Trialist, Allen.

Subs: Potts, Booth, Blinkhorn, Miller, Noon, Denson, Lloyd (All Subs Used)

Goal: Noon (90)

Man of the Match – Josh Langley