Another season has passed for the Nash and this one won't be forgotten for a long time.
Adam Lakeland's first summer in charge of the squad led to him being able to make his mark on the squad by singing a few more players with the likes of George Waring, Josh Hancock and Will Hayhurst joining the Nash last summer. Going into pre season, Curzon had a good blend of young, hungry players like Eoin Hogan knocking on the door alongside their more experienced players like Adam Barton and Craig Mahon.
Curzon started the season in the Tameside sun against newly promoted Banbury United however a late penalty for the visitors gave them all 3 points and meant that the Nash started the campaign with a loss. It was a very similar story the following week as the Nash made the short trip to Buxton where another penalty conversion meant the Nash had failed to pick up a single point from the opening 2 games. Curzon's luck would change soon however after picking up back to back wins against Kidderminster and Kettering. The following week would see Lakeland's men travel to his former club, Farsley Celtic. Late drama at the Citadel meant that a last-minute penalty save from Chris Renshaw was only enough for the Nash to salvage a draw. A mixed set of results for Curzon early in the season meant that they were sat on 11 points from their opening 8 games- not the worst start but nothing to write home about.
Then came a big FA Cup game away against FC United. The Nash really took the game to the hosts and were 3-0 inside 50 minutes. It wasn't all simple for the Nash as a late fightback from FC United made it a nervy finish, however, Curzon held on to win 3-2 and book their place in the third qualifying round of the FA Cup. This would trigger a decent run for Curzon in the league before making the trip to Scarborough in the next round. A 2-2 draw at the Flamingo Land Stadium meant that the sides would have to do it all over again just 3 days later- the third meeting between the sides in 7 days. After 90 minutes of action on a cold evening at the Tameside Stadium, it was 2-2 again, just like the meeting at the Flamingo Land Stadium. But this time, we were heading to extra time. A goal from Tom Peers in the 117th minute was enough to separate the sides and Curzon had confirmed a meeting with Peterborough Sports in the 4th qualifying round with a great chance to head into the first round of the FA Cup for the first time since 2016. Before then however, The Nash had to travel to Bradford where a late turnaround from the hosts gave them a 2-1 win, despite Craig Mahon's terrific goal to open the score line. Then came the big one, a coach load of Nash fans enjoyed free travel to Peterborough thanks to the gaffer and his staff. Nerves were high for the whole club but a Josh Hancock penalty was enough to give the Nash a 1-0 win and a pass into the first round proper of the FA Cup. The eagerly anticipated first-round draw gave Curzon a home time against league 1 opposition in Cambridge United.
The big game with Cambridge had to wait, however, as the Nash had a few tough league games before then, including back-to-back away trips to Boston United and Peterborough Sports. Another Josh Hancock goal gave the Nash all 3 points against Boston United however history didn't repeat itself 3 days later, at Peterborough, as the sides played out a 0-0 draw on a very cold Tuesday night down south. The Nash then played host to Hereford in an attempt to get back into winning form before they faced Cambridge however the Bulls came away with a 3-1 victory. Then came the big one, as Curzon faced a league one outfit. This was by far the biggest test Lakeland had faced yet as Nash boss. In a game which could have gone either way, it ended 0-0, Curzon once again struggling to find the back of the net, but another amazing defensive and goalkeeping display. This set up a huge replay down at the Abbey Stadium. Before then, the Nash faced off against Leamington and Brackley Town, games which would finish in a 0-0 draw and a 1-0 loss respectively- The Nash's struggles to find the net continued. We would see a similar story in the replay against Cambridge where yet another 0-0 game ended up with the Nash bowing out of the FA Cup after a penalty shootout loss. Chris Renshaw's efforts in goal were overshadowed by only one thing at that point, and that was the team's lack of goals.
As one cup campaign ended, it was time for another to begin as Curzon faced off away against Southport. The Nash recorded a 3-1 win as loan signing Benni Smales-Braithwaite found the net on his debut. Fans were hopeful that this singing could be the catalyst for an upturn in goals and form for the team. A 2-0 loss a few days later at home to Blyth Spartans soon changed spirits but the following weekend, Curzon faced off against bottom-placed team Telford. The Nash picked up another big 3 points with their first league win in over a month thanks to three first-half goals. However, it would be their last for a while. Curzon travelled to Chorley a week later and put in "the worst performance he's seen whilst in charge" according to the gaffer where the hosts won 3-0. At this point, many fans had braced themselves for a relegation battle. A 2-0 loss to Darlington followed this before Curzon travelled to Altrincham in the FA Trophy. The hosts won 1-0 as Curzon were knocked out of the FA Trophy on a night where the league difference between the teams seemed obvious, despite the scoreline. The next two games for the Nash were both against Southport as festive football hit the country. Curzon could only pick up 1 point from these games- drawing 1-1 at home and losing 2-1 away.
The Nash would pick up their first win of the year and their first since Telford back in November when they hosted Buxton. A second-half brace was enough to turn round a 1-0 deficit from the first half and gave Nash fans something to cheer about. The following week, the Nash visited Chester- a place which brings back some fond memories over the last few year. Curzon were 2-0 up after 70 minutes of play however, they couldn't hold on and the hosts fought back to send Curzon back to Tameside with just a point. After a few postponements, and a 2 week break, the Nash were back in action against Kidderminster in an awful game which ended 1-0 to the Harriers. At this point, many fans were beginning to fear for what could happen this season as the lack of fight shown in this game was worrying.
Just a few days later, The Nash had a massive game against fellow bottom half team, Farsley Celtic. As the team news came out for this one, many fans were shocked and confused as Curzon had switched to a back 5 formation, something we hadn't seen from Lakeland since his very first game in charge, last season. However, this change seemed to get the Nash firing again as they picked up a massive 5-2 win against the Yorkshire side. New sighning Hayden Campbell made his first start for the club here and seemed to be the first catalyst for an up furn in form. This good fortune wouldn't continue for long as the very next game, The Nash travelled to league leaders AFC Fylde. The professional outfit showed just why they are top of the league and took away a 3-1 win.
Next up was a midweek trip to Alfreton. Just before this game, Curzon announced they had signed Jimmy Spencer- a man who Adam Lakeland knows very well from his Farsley days. Jimmy proved to make an instant impact by scoring the winner and picking up the MOTM award on his debut against Alfreton. It seemed for the first time this season, Curzon finally had an out and out number 9 to link up with the other attackers like Peers and Campbell.
This win would be the first of four consecutive victories for Curzon- scoring 11 goals on the way. The early days of constant 0-0 games seemed well in the past.
The tide quickly turned for the Nash as back to back 1-0 defeats against Alfreton and Kettering before a 4-1 loss to Leamington made fans doubt just how much progress the club had made. However, this would be the start of a record breaking run for the Nash. They hosted 4th place Brackley Town as they looked to turn round this slight run of bad form and they did just that. A 3-1 win against Brackley filled Nash fans with hope again. The Nash would then go on a 10 game unbeaten run- beating the club's previous record of 7 unbeaten under Mark Bradshaw in 2019. Throughout this run, Curzon would beat sides like Chorley, Darlington and most memorably, Scarborough where Adam Barton's 94th minute Easter miracle gave the Nash all 3 points in a 1-0 win.
This run meant that going into the final 2 games of the season, the playoff spots were in reach for Curzon, as long as they could complete the mammoth task of beating the top 2 in the league- AFC Fylde and Kings Lynn. 2 very early goals for Fylde were enough for them to take all 3 points to become the only side to do the double over Curzon this season. Then it was time for the season finale- a 7 hour round trip to Kings Lynn where fans travelled in numbers for the final game of the season. It ended in another 2-0 loss for the Nash but that didn't take anything away from the immense pride felt from the entire away end.
The Nash finished the season in 13th place, which arguably doesn’t truly reflect the football on offer this season. However, it was still a record breaking season for Curzon after picking up 65 points which is their most ever in the 6th tier. As well as this, it was a record breaking one for both Chris Renshaw and Tom Peers. Renshaw picked up 18 clean sheets in all competitions which is 1 higher than the clubs previous record of 17. Tom Peers scored 22 goals this season in all competitions, smashed Niall Cummins’ previous record of 17 goals.
The journey which Curzon have gone on throughout the season as a team is brilliant. From a side that couldn't buy a win back in December, to going on a record breaking un beaten run and pushing for the playoffs until the very end. Everyone at the club couldn't be prouder of what Adam Lakeland, Alex Brown, Jack Salkeld and Kieran Bentley have achieved as a coaching staff. And the entire squad for never giving up at any point, despite how tough times were. And the board for doing whatever it takes to stand by the gaffer and his staff and supporting them with brilliant signings. Its been one hell of a season for Curzon and I can't wait to do it all over again come August. UP THE NASH!