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FC Halifax Town 1 Curzon Ashton 2: Hopes hang by a thread
IT may still be mathematically possible for Town to reach the Unibond One North play-offs, but you would do well to find anyone willing to put money on it.
An afternoon that started so full of promise ended in massive disappointment as a fifth defeat in 11 games left the Shaymen four points adrift of the visitors with just two matches remaining.
Click here to see the Unibond Division One North table on our Halifax Town fixtures and results page
A penalty decision nine minutes into the second period was the turning point as it handed Curzon a way back into the game after they had fallen behind to a Nigel Jemson spot kick.
Michael Norton fired home his 36th goal of the season and the confidence drained from the Town players.
Curzon were always comfortable after that and now need just three points from their final three matches, all of which are at home, to secure a top five berth.
Town were the better side in the opening stages with Cavell Coo causing Curzon plenty of problems down the right hand side.
But they had little to show for their efforts although keeper David Carnell only managed to parry a Nathan Joynes shot from the edge of the area.
Lincoln Adams also went close, stretching out a leg to get on the end of a Junior Brown corner on the right only to volley over.
At the other end Curzon hitman Norton had a great opportunity in the 20th minute when he raced clear, but Lincoln Adams did well to get back and put him under pressure and Jon Kennedy saved.
Moments later Chris Curley fired a free kick over the bar and Chris Worsley tested Kennedy from distance, but the keeper was up to the task.
Paul Evans fired a shot wide on the half hour and two minutes later the Shaymen were dealt a blow when Ashley Stott had to be stretchered from the field after an off the ball incident close to the halfway line.
That appeared to spur Town on and, with seven minutes of the first half remaining, they took the lead.
Junior Brown's free kick from the right would have been met by Adams had he not been bundled to the ground by Adam Jones.
Jemson was the coolest man in the ground as he stepped up and hammered the spot kick into the roof of the net.
The goal seemed to spark the visitors into life and Evans had to head a Hasim Deem effort off the line before Kennedy saved well from Norton after he got on the end of a David Birch free kick.
Town steadied things down and pressed Curzon in the final few minutes of the half with David Brown and Tom Baker both having decent efforts saved and they looked equally comfortable at the start of the second half.
Evans spotted Carnell off his line in the 47th minute and tried an audacious effort from halfway, only to see the ball drift a couple of yards wide of the goal.
And, after Junior Brown had been brought down, Baker crossed for Adams who headed over the bar.
Evans did well to block a Curley shot before the decisive moment in the game in the 54th minute which came completely out of the blue.
Norton and Hotte tangled in the Town box and the early indications were that the referee was consulting his linesman to confirm a stamp from the Curzon frontman.
But he returned from his discussions and pointed to the spot, Norton making no mistake to level things up.
The goal really knocked the wind out of the Town sails and 10 minutes later they were two down after Kennedy, with teammate Adams backing into him, spilled the ball and Nathan Cartman needed no second invitation to lift the ball into the empty net.
Town must have thought they had levelled with 19 minutes remaining when Adams headed a Baker free kick goalwards, but Carnell dived to his left to save.
And Curzon might have had a third on the counter attack but Kennedy raced out of his area and did enough to put Norton off.
Joynes headed into Carnell's arms from eight yards and David Brown had an effort from an acute angle on the left saved by the keeper.
Norton poked an effort wide when he nipped in as Mark Hotte tried to shield the ball back to Kennedy.
The Shaymen threw more and more players forward and thought they had snatched a draw with a couple of minutes remaining when Adams flicked on an Evans free kick and substitute Paul Gedman nodded home only to be denied by the linesman's flag.
And in five minutes of stoppage time, the best they could muster was an overhead kick from Baker that never threatened to trouble the keeper.
MATCH FACTS
FC Halifax Town: Kennedy, Coo, Adams, Jemson, Hotte, J Brown (Peers 77), Evans, Baker, Allen (Gedman 66), Stott (D Brown 32), Joynes. Subs (not used): Hinsley, Barnes.
Booked: None
Sent-off: None
Goal: Jemson 38 pen
Curzon Ashton: Carnell, Birch, Russell, Dem, Jones, Ogoo, Worsley, Curley, Norton, Edghill (Goodeve 85), Cartman (O'Connor 83). Subs (not used): Elliot, , Devlin, Verity,.
Booked: Birch (foul 50), Cartman (foul 65)
Sent-off: None
Goals: Norton 54 pen, Cartman 64
Attendance: 1,325
Referee: A Holmes
STAR SHAYMAN
Cavell Coo has always enjoyed going forward and he had plenty of opportunities to do that against Curzon, especially in the first half.
The visitors struggled to contain him before the break and it was after he was fouled that Town were able to deliver a free kick into the area which led to the penalty.
Nigel Jemson took the spot kick calmly to send Town into what at that stage was a deserved lead.
The caretaker manager had looked assured at the back, getting in the tackles when he needed to and using the ball well.
Paul Evans has not been at the club long and was in and out of the side under the previous manager.
But he gave another committed performance in the centre of midfield and yet again his delivery from set pieces was decent
Coo takes the three points on offer in our season-long competition with Jemson getting two and Evans one.
PLAYER POINTS
Tom Baker 41, Junior Brown 34, Ashley Stott 21, Scott Phelan 17, Jonathan Smith 16, Nigel Jemson 13, Cavell Coo 12, Paul Gedman 11, Lincoln Adams 11, Colin Daniel 10, Peter Moore 10, Paul Evans 10, Jon Kennedy 9, Damien Allen 7, Michael Barnes 6, Mark Peers 5, Ritchie Sutton 5, Adam Morning 4, Paul Collins 4, Luke Hinsley 3, Steve Payne 3, Neil Ross 3, Nathan Joynes 3, Craig Smith 2, Justin Walker 2, Craig Ellison 2, Danny Ellis 1, Phil Senior 1.
YOU SAY
No excuses blew it big time they wanted it we didnt what now eh? South Stander
it would help if jemson spent more time motivating his team rather than playing to the crowd as if he is begging 4 the job - angry andy
We need to learn from this game and sign some 6ft battlers with a physical presence as well as a keeper that knows how to catch a football - Town fan
3 things wrong with that match kennedy, joynes and The REFEREE. Didn't deserve to lose, better side by far -The Turnbull
For sale - entire football squad plus manager - apply fcht - the taxman
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Friday 10 February 2012
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