It was a fast start for both teams inside the opening ten minutes of the match, with Spencer coming close after winning the ball inside the hosts box before shooting at the near post and being denied by Boney. Before Rutledge then tested Bobby Jones when he received the ball on the left hand side and cut inside looking to curl his effort into the corner.

However Jones was able to get down low and palm it clear. Curzon Ashton then came close again when some nice build up play down the left hand side between Hayhurst and Buckley-Ricketts as the ball was fired across the box to Mols who couldn’t direct it in.

Then just after the fifteen minute mark Luke Griffiths opened his account for The Nash in competitive action after a nice team move. Bobby Jones’ long ball was brilliantly help up by Spencer before he tried to find Stefan Mols in the box. When the ball eventually fell to the feet of Griffiths inside the box who curled his attempt into the bottom corner giving Curzon Ashton a first half lead.

After the restart there was no rest for the wicked for The Nash, as wave after wave of South Shields attack kept coming. But with some resilience in the defensive line and some top draw defensive blocks from the likes of Devon Matthews and Marcus Poscha the score stayed at 1-0. But unfortunately for Curzon Ashton The Mariners found an equaliser late into stoppage time.

As Will Jenkins had the ball just outside the box on the left hand side before curling a magnificent shot into the net and having seemingly rescued a point for South Shields right at the end. Yet believe it or not there was more late drama to come. With ninety six minutes on the clock The Nash won themselves a corner on the right hand side to which every Curzon Ashton player bar Bobby Jones was up for. Hayhurst whipped the ball in and within a matter of seconds a foul on Poscha in the box meant the referee pointed to the spot for a penalty.

Up steps Will Hayhurst in the ninety seventh minute as he just about slots the penalty past Boney sending the 1st Cloud Arena into silence apart from the Nash fans who were in dreamland.