Curzon's unbeaten run

Curzon’s unbeaten league run has finally come to an end and now it’s time to reveal a few facts.

When manager John Flanagan took over in the summer, the expectations from some quarters weren’t too high. After all, the squad previous manager Gary Lowe had assembled had all but disappeared and John Flanagan had to build a new squad from scratch.

A 1-0 opening day victory over Radcliffe Borough hardly got the doubters to change their opinions and even recording six successive victories by the end of August still had people saying that we had not yet played anyone – all the teams we had faced so far were in the bottom half of the table or in a poor run of form.

However John had already got his squad playing as a team and this was empathised during the 1-1 draw with Salford City. A disjointed display almost saw Curzon lose their unbeaten record but they fought to the end and salvaged a point.

Another five straight wins began to have supporters believing that something was happening down at Tameside Stadium although a 0-0 home draw with struggling Cammell Laird again led to some scepticism about the teams ability to last the pace.

A difficult November program should decide whether the team had what it takes, but Curzon came through it with flying colours.

Big spending Fylde were dispatched 2-0, October manager of the month winners Durham went the same way and then, if any proof was still required, a dramatic fight back at Skelmersdale, in a game where they played 75% of it with a man short, first ten against eleven, and then nine against ten. But Curzon have a never say die attitude and with two minutes remaining they came from 2-0 down to snatch a draw.

The 4-0 win at Clitheroe was almost to be expected and when Matty Kay gave Curzon the lead at Fylde on 3rd December with less than half an hour to go, it seemed that the run would continue.

Fylde though, it would seem, have a never say die attitude of their own although it took a 95th minute winner for Curzon’s record to be broken.

Ironically, it was only because of the treatment required by injury sustained by Curzon keeper Josh Ollerenshaw in trying to prevent Fylde’s equaliser which gave Fylde the extra time they needed to snatch the winner.

The unbeaten run is the best ever by a Curzon side from the beginning of a season, the previous best being 13 games at the start of the 2007-08 season.

Including the six unbeaten league games at the end of last season, Curzon have put together an unbeaten run of 23 league games, which is the second best in their history, only a sequence of 30 unbeaten games during the 1977-78 season being better.

For unbeaten games in a single season though it is only our fourth best run.

The 30 games as mentioned above, then 20 games in our first season (1963-64), then 19 games in 65-66.

Despite their run and their lofty position at the top of the league, everyone at Curzon is keeping their feet on the ground. There’s a long, long way still to go, and Fylde apart, Curzon still have to play everyone they expect to be challenging for a play-off place, some of them twice. And the festive period has traditionally been a time where Curzon teams have hit a poor run of form in the past.
However, whatever happens during the second half of the season, the team can be proud of what they have achieved so far.

Although it’s a team game, individuals sometimes deserve a mention.

Phil Edghill has been with Curzon for eight seasons in two different spells and on 22nd October he made his 250th appearance in the 2-2 draw at Skelmersdale, coming on as a 69th minute substitute.

His early career saw him play as a winger but in recent seasons he has been something of a utility player and indeed, this season has seen him play at right back, left back, centre half, midfield and up front.

Not a prolific scorer, he can usually be relied upon to score when it really matters. In Curzon’s FA Cup run of 2008-09 he scored both goals in the 2-0 win at Stocksbridge Park Steels when asked to play as a lone striker and then scored another two in the 4-3 win over Mossley in the third qualifying round. He also notched the only goal of the play off semi-final at Skelmersdale that season.