Harriers bounce back at Harrogate

A late goal for Andre Brown, when he took advantage of the Harrogate Town keeper way off his line, was the best way to respond to that poor defeat at home to FC Utd of Manchester on Saturday.  Harrogate are also flying high in the league and also lost on Saturday at AFC Fylde so they too wanted to bounce back.

With an unchanged side from Saturday this was our first ever meeting with Harrogate and also our first ever proper game on a 3G pitch.  I'd presume, and hope, that we have already practiced on such a surface in preparation but we seemed to cope anyway.  Without the injured Elton N'Gwatala his replacement Liam Truslove had set us on our way to inflict the first home league defeat on the Town since last March and with the win the Harriers climb to fifth place in the table

It was Town who were to start the strongest with the Harriers showing a few jitters in defence once again.  Marcus Day, making his home debut, managed to latch onto a ball in the area and fire goalwards but for us Sam Hornby was equal to his shot and saved well.  Hornby came to the rescue again soon after when he turned a close range shot from Jordan Robertson onto the post and then up at the other end Truslove went close for the Harriers when he sent a shot just wide of Peter Crooks goal.

A spate of bookings followed and Lewis Turner got booked for Harrogate and then Ryan Croasdale found himself going into the referees notebook two minutes later.  He'll now miss out on the trip to Blackpool for our 1st round FA Cup tie in two weeks time.

Robertson again went close to opening the scoring when his shot went over the bar and then Truslove did likewise but his shot was closer and hit the bar and then rebounded into Crooks back and then away to safety.  That near miss was the trigger for the Harriers to step it up and eventually score.

We were handed a corner, taken by James McQuilkin, that floated into the area for Truslove to fire towards the goal.  A Harrogate defender stuck his foot out at the last second to try and block it out but only succeeded in deflecting it away from his keeper and into the net.

The hosts should have drawn level soon after when Luke Shiels header forward was just missed by Day at the far post and we lived to breathe another day.  Four minutes before the break Town had a man sent off when Andrew Gascoigne went in too hard on Croasdale and left the referee no option but to red card him.

At the re-start Harrogate made two changes with Warren Burrell and Wayne Brooksby coming on for Joe Leesley and Jordan Robertson.  The change seemed to un-settle the Reds and within seconds the host could have got a goal back when Marcus Day should have done better with a chance that he panicked at and sent wide.  It took ten minutes for us to settle down and see our first chance of the half fall to Arthur Gnahoua when his rising shot went just over the bar and then again a minute later when he went closer with a shot that was on target this time but saved well by Crook as he flipped the ball over the bar.

The game fell into a groove of the hosts trying to draw level and us trying desperately to keep them out and it was no surprise when we almost shot ourselves in the foot completely with ten minutes to go.

As on Saturday Sam Hornby uncharacteristically flapped in clearing a ball upfield and sliced it towards Keith Lowe who then missed the ball completely leaving day with free passage to put the ball home.  Thankfully Day also flapped and his shot went goalwards and hit the post.

Time began to run out for Harrogate as they could see their home record slipping away.  The kept trying to get near our goal and when they were handed a corner the goalkeeper, Crook, came up to join in the fun.  As happens in these situations the stupid boy is left in no mans land high and dry.

The ball failed to reach a Harrogate man and was cleared upfield to where Andre Brown, on for Gnahoua minutes earlier, was waiting his chance.  Look up, hit it and there's no keeper to stop it from going in.  You couldn't ask for a sweeter way to win a game.

Three more points in the bag and a bounce back from the FCUM game in the best possible way.  On to Stockport on Saturday now to play a team that we relegated in April 2013 amidst un-pleasant scenes at Aggborough so let's hope that is now in the past and two in form sides can produce a good game as long.  As there is only one winner

 Goals for Harriers: Truslove 29, A Brown 90

REFEREE:

Mr P Marsden Lancashire