Harrogate Railway 5-1 Maltby Main.
Saturday saw Railway return to Station View for an NCEL Premier League game after their loss to Rainworth.
Would the Locomotives be able to resume their recent run of good form that had seen them lose just one in the previous five games?
The Harrogate team came out fighting and quickly had their reward.
Within minutes of the start, Maltby Main had a chance to score when Ryan Carroll blazed over the bar.
But it was player manager, Paul Beesley who got on the score sheet first when he converted Ben Thornton’s cross and gave Railway the lead. 1-0
Railway were having the better of the early exchanges, but slowly Maltby Main came back into the game and pressed for the equaliser.
On the half-hour mark, Josh Schofield played a nice little pass back from the byline to Ryan Carroll, who fired in a shot to beat Ben Ledger in The Rail’s goal. 1-1
By this time, the heavens had opened and there was a steady stream of rain falling.
Both teams were attacking when they could, but The Miners were having the better of the play.
The teams went in level at half time.
The second half got underway, with the rain having stopped and the sun was even threatening to peak out from behind the clouds.
It took no more than 25 seconds for Chris Ovington to get a shot in on goal, with the Maltby goalkeeper forced into making a save.
He pushed the ball out, only for it to be returned by Fraser Hansen who scored his first goal for Railway on his debut.
Maltby Main responded with a couple of good chances of their own, hitting the post and forcing Ben Ledger into making a fine stop.
Railway continued to press forward, trying to increase their lead.
Paul Beesley flicked the ball on in the Maltby Main penalty box and there was an obvious handball by one of the Miners’ defenders.
With most of the Railway forwards appealing for a penalty, the linesman and referee waved play on, judging the infringement to be accidental.
That sense of injustice was not to last long as the lively Hansen crossed the ball from the right wing, which was met by Chris Ovington who fired the ball home. 3-1
There was a belief in the Railway play now and they took a firm grip of the game, passing the ball around and attacking with purpose.
The next goal came from a corner, with Paul Beesley rising above the Maltby Main defenders.
But the ball sailed over his head, only for Toby Lees to pop up behind him and send a magnificent header back across goal and into the top right. 4-1 and Railway were on their way to collecting all three points.
The final goal belonged to substitute, Stephen Bromley.
Bromley has been on fire this season, scoring regularly for The Locomotives and he duly got his goal when clean through on the Maltby Main goal with only their ‘keeper to beat.
His first shot rebounded to him and he dispatched the ball on the second attempt to make it 5-1 and ensure all three points were staying at Station View.
The lively Hendrie and dominant Beesley could have made the margin of Railway’s victory more pronounced, but the emphatic nature of Railway’s second half performance was enough to ensure their recent good form continues.
It’s been two years since Railway scored five in a league fixture and this was only the second win at home this season, but what a magnificent performance.
Report by Caught Light Photography.
