Harrogate Town may have to wait until next Saturday to have their place in the play offs confirmed,after they slipped to defeat at fellow contenders, AFC Fylde.
This was Fylde’s last league game at Kellamergh Park, before they move into their magnificent, new stadium
at the Mill Farm Sports Village.
The match was preceded by several entertainments,and the Town supporters club managed to win the tug of war.
This unfortunately was not an happy omen as Town had to take to the field without the suspended, Brendan Daniels and the injured Danny Ellis.
AFC Fylde’s prolific scorer,Danny Rowe,soon issued a statement of intent when he forced the diving,Peter Crook,to parry over the bar, while minutes later, his dipping drive just shaded the woodwork.
Town,with Joe Colbeck providing a series of crosses, hit back, and Paul Clayton went near with an overhead kick.
After a spell of intense pressure,the “Coasters” took the lead on thirtynine minutes, when Rowe picked up a weak clearance, cut inside and beat Crook with a low drive via the inside of the post.
Colbeck had a shot deflected at Matt Urwin in the home goal and Lloyd Kerry started and finished a good move with a shot past the angle.
Just after the break, Jordan Thewlis replaced Ryan Fallowfield, but it was Fylde who made the early running,with Dion Charles, twice going close.
This heralded Town’s best period of the match with, firstly, Kerry breaking clear only to shoot against Urwin’s legs, while Thewlis blazed well wide from a deep cross by the industrious, Tom Platt.
Next, skipper Dave McGurk, pushed forward to place a looping header from a Thewlis corner over the bar and Kerry’s centre across the goal, just evaded Clayton and Thewlis.
Unfortunately for Town, with twelve minutes left the Coasters put the game to bed when James Hardy’s speculative shot from twenty-five yards seemed to wrong foot Crook and crept inside the near post.
Town pulled one back deep into stoppage time when Urwin punched out Kerry’s cross into the path of Warren Burrell who side-footed in.
Town may now have to wait until next Saturday,when they entertain the already relegated, bottom club, Corby Town, to gain a play off place.
Town
1 Crook, 2 Fallowfield (Thewlis 49), 3 Swain (Warren 57), 4 Platt, 5 Shiels, 6 McGurk (c), 7 Colbeck,
8 Burrell, 9 Clayton (Gascoigne 75), 10 Kerry, 11 Emmett.
Unused subs,15 Cadman,16 Foster. Booking Clayton.
Scorer Burrell 90+2 Att.660
Report by John Harrison
Photography by Craig Hurle
