Curzon Ashton made it through to the first round proper of the FA Cup on Saturday with a 1-0 win at home to fellow National League North side King’s Lynn Town.
In a feisty encounter, which saw former Nash boss Adam Lakeland return to the Tameside Stadium, it was teenager Luis Lacey who grabbed the headlines.
The substitute marked his home debut with an 88th minute winner, reacting the quickest to volley the ball home from just inside the penalty area and send his side through.
“I’m delighted for the club,” Curzon player-manager Craig Mahon told the Reporter.
“It was a tough game, King’s Lynn had their game plan and it worked for 87 minutes, but we knew that all it’d take was a little bit of quality and Lacey was the man who provided it.
“It’s a great cup to be a part of and to say we’re in the first round again is just brilliant,” he added.
The win means the Nash have now made it to this stage of the competition three years in a row.
Standing in their way of a place in the second round is League One side Mansfield Town, who currently sit third in the table, two points behind leaders Birmingham City with a game in hand.
Speaking after Monday's draw, Curzon Ashton assistant manager Mark Bradshaw told the Reporter:
“It’s a good draw for us, we’ve worked hard to get the opportunity to play higher league opposition and we’ve got one of the strongest sides we could’ve got.
“That’s the beauty of the FA Cup, anything can happen- there’s always the chance they could come and underestimate us, and they won’t know much about us.
“It’s a one-off game and we’ve got nothing to lose, it’ll be a great test for some of our players, especially those who have aspirations to play higher up.”
Craig Mahon’s side will welcome Mansfield to the Tameside Stadium on the weekend of November 2.
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