Harrogate Town’s play off hopes took a knock as they slipped to defeat against Boreham Wood.
Town made one enforced change from last Saturday’s victory at Havant and Waterlooville,with Liam Agnew replacing the injured Lloyd Kerry.
Town’s fate was sealed as early as the ninth minute when a short corner was played to Kieran Murtagh on the right touchline and his centre was headed past James Belshaw by the unmarked,Tom Champion.
Town were struggling to find any cohesion and it took until the 25th minute before they seriously threatened the “Wood”goal,when Agnew released Jack Muldoon down the right and he drove into the side netting.
A well worked free kick almost bore fruit for Town when Joe Leesley found Callum Howe at the far post,but his cushioned header across goal was blazed over the bar by Warren Burrell.
As the game ebbed and flowed,it was the visitors who had the next chance with Rocky Shakes firing over from the edge of the area,before Kelvin Langmead had to make a fine tackle to stop a run by Ralston Gabriel.
However,Town had a late chance to equalise when Howe headed another Leesley corner goalwards,only for Ryan Huddart to tip the ball over his crossbar.
Early in the second half,Justin Shaibu had a run and shot diverted for a corner by Langmead,but it was Town who began to dominate as they pushed for an equaliser.
On the hour,a Leesley shot from the left forced Huddart to tip over the bar,but Howe couldn’t make any meaningful contact with the follow up corner.
In a tremendous onslaught by Town,the ball bounced around the “ Wood”penalty area like a pinball machine,and the attack only ended when a pull back by sub,Jordan Thewlis,saw a Liam Kitching shot cleared off the line.
A brilliant pass from Burrell found Muldoon in space on the right,but Champion got back to head his centre clear.
That was as good as it got for Town and they were lucky not to concede again in stoppage time,because Belshaw did well to thwart Bradley Ash when he was through on goal and the visitors hit the bar with the last action of the game,
Fortunately,other results went Town’s way so they retain sixth position in the League.
Harrogate Town 0 Boreham Wood 1 Att.1216
Town, Belshaw,Falkingham,Howe,Burrell,Thomson(Beck67),eesley,Agnew,Langmead,Muldoon(Williams 86),Kitching,Woods(Thewlis(59).
Unused subs,Fallowfield,Cracknell. Bookings Kitching,Thewlis.
Boreham Wood, HuddartWoodards, 86),, Ilesanmi, Ricketts(Parry8), Stephens, Shakes, Champion,Gabriel,Murtagh,Fyfield,Shiabu(Ash 72).
Unused subs,Legg,Cooper.
Booking,Murtagh Att 1216
Scorer,Champion 9, Town Man of the Match,Burrell
Referee,D Richardson,
