Curzon beaten at home by Chester

Curzon Ashton's winless run extended to five games after Monday night's 3-1 loss at the Tameside Stadium.

Matt Regan cancelled out an early Matty Hughes opener for the visitors with a superb header, but goals from Akwasi Asante and Kevin Roberts shortly after the break sealed three points for the promotion-chasing Seals. 

It meant back-to-back defeats for the Nash for the second time this term, after last Saturday’s 1-0 reverse at Guiseley. 

Manager Mark Bradshaw made one enforced change to his line-up from that game, with Jack Banister coming in to replace Rob Evans who is sidelined with a fractured ankle. 

The match was barely five minutes old when the visitors, unchanged from their first defeat of the season at Spennymoor Town at the weekend, took an early lead. George Glendon’s clip into the box was flicked on by Simon Grand and poked home on the bounce by Hughes. 

As Curzon sought an immediate response, Callum Saunders was denied by an excellent block from Blues captain Scott Burton. 

And the hosts were level on 21 minutes as Regan rose highest to meet an Andy Halls cross and score his first goal of the season. 

Chester had largely been on top until that point but the momentum shifted in favour of the Nash, who ended the first half the stronger. 

Centre-back Regan almost grabbed his second goal with another header before Banister fired a shot wide. 

But the game was decided at the start of the second half as Chester netted twice in the first six minutes. 

Firstly, Asante slotted home from 10 yards in the 47th minute after a good run and cutback from Bradley Jackson. 

Then, four minutes later, Roberts increased their advantage as he sent a bullet header crashing past Curzon keeper Cam Mason from Joel Taylor’s corner. 

The Nash, to their credit, didn’t give up hope of getting back into the game. Isaac Sinclair rifled an effort wide from the edge of the box. 

At the other end, Mason made a fantastic save to deny Hughes a second from a curling shot. 

Bradshaw sent on Michael Elstone and Luke Wall from the bench in the closing stages, before handing an appearance for Academy graduate Elliot Cooke. 

But it ended in a home defeat as Curzon slipped one place to 16th in the National League North, with nine points from as many games. 

Meanwhile, a fourth win in five matches lifted Chester up two places to third in the table - and to within two points of leaders York City - although all of the teams around them have a game in hand. 

Curzon defender Daniel Shaw gave an honest assessment after the game and felt it was a learning curve for a youthful side. 

“I think it’s down to ourselves,” he told Curzon’s media team. “We started slow in the first half and got punished from open play. 

“I thought we were quite compact for their (second) goal and then obviously we conceded from a set-piece, which took a bit of life out of us. 

“But we will take the positives. We have to work hard. We’ve got another game on Saturday so we need to recover and train on Thursday. 

“We’ve had a good start (to the season) but we don’t get carried away with ourselves. We’re still quite a young side with a bit of experience. We’ve just got to go back to the drawing board.” 

The Nash will be hoping to get back on track when they travel to Derbyshire to face Alfreton Town at North Street on Saturday (kick-off 15:00 BST).