A superb all round performance enabled Harrogate Town to complete the double over promotion rivals Altrincham F C.
Town were unchanged from Saturday’s victory over Solihull.
The prolific Alty forward line put the Town defence under severe pressure in the opening stages and Craig MacGillivray was the busier keeper, cutting out several dangerous crosses and making a couple of strong punches to clear his lines.
As the half progressed, Town began to gain a foothold in the match and Dom Rowe and Conor Sellars began to find space on the wings.
An inch perfect through ball from Sellars split the Robins defence to present Chris Hall with a chance, but his shot past home keeper, Stuart Coburn,flashed across the face of the goal.
Next,it was Adam Nowakowski’s turn to threaten when his header from a Sellars corner was just the wrong side of the upright.
But Town were not to be denied, and on 33 minutes, a Sellars free kick was headed on by Nowakowski and Ashley Worsfold got the final touch to give Town the lead.
Within minutes Coburn brilliantly clawed away a Nowakowski header to prevent Town stretching their lead,but unfortunately for Town, it was the Robins who provided the next action when the dangerous Nicky Clee broke down the left and Damian Reeves was on hand at the far post to knock in his searching cross.
Town were not fazed by this setback and they started the second half in a hurry.
Worsfold cut in from the right and delivered a stinging shot which Coburn parried for a corner.
However, on 51 minutes,the coach load of travelling Town supporters almost raised the roof when Chris Hall made it 2-1.
Alty’s, Simon Richman,while attempting to block a Town pass,saw the ball rebound to Hall who rounded Coburn for Town’s second.
A clearly stung Altrincham pushed forward,but their high scoring forward line was well shackled by the Town defence and they were unable to create any clear cut chances.
The Robins began to leave space at the back for the speedy visiting forwards to exploit and both Rowe and Worsfold broke through the defence to shoot narrowly wide.
Craig Nelthorpe replaced Sellars and almost immediately added his name to the scoresheet.
The industrious,Anton Brown, who was named, Town Man of the Match, by the Altrincham sponsors, won the ball in midfield and played in Nelthorpe who expertly lobbed Coburn to secure a victory which lifted Town to third in the league.
Town
1 MacGillivray, 2 Samuels, 3 Merris, 4 Brown, 5 Heath (c), 6 Franks, 7 Sellars ( Nelthorpe 65 mins), 8 Nowakowski, 9 Hall ( Ironside 79), 10 Worsfold (Woods 90),11 Rowe.
Unused subs,14 Bolder, 16 Mallory. Bookings Brown,Franks.
Scorers, Worsfold 33 mins, Hall 51, Nelthorpe 69. Att 704
By John Harrison.
