Harrogate Town slipped to a disappointing 0-2 home defeat against Dover Athletic.
Town made one change from Monday’s line up at AFC Fylde,with Scott Brown replacing the injured Alex Bradley.
A poor first half started with Town on the front foot and Dover made plenty of use of their keeper,Lee Worgan,as they back passed excessively to stymie Town’s attacks.
A late challenge by Mark Beck on Athletic’s captain,Kevin Lokko,earned the Town striker a yellow card,but he made amends by creating Town’s first chance when he chested a clearance down to Jack Muldoon,but he shot straight at Worgan from twenty yards.
Jack Munns replied for Dover by shooting wide from distance,but at the other end,Worgan had to pull out an acrobatic save to keep out Muldoon’s rising drive after he had been played in by Beck.
Both sides were guilty of ballooning the ball in the air,which made for a boring game, which did little to enthuse the below average crowd.
Dover’s Josh Passley fired over the bar,before centring for Jai Reason to cut in from the left and also shoot high over the woodwork.
Town’s best chance came in the last minute of the half when Ryan Fallowfield broke down the right and put in a teasing low cross,only for Worgan to make a fine diving interception. After the break,Inih Effiong squandered a good chance for the visitors,when his cross shot clipped the outside of the post.
Town pressed and Worgan had to punch away a couple of Brendan Kiernan free kicks,and also clutch a Connor Hall header under the angle of upright and crossbar.
However,on sixtyseven minutes,Town missed a great chance to take the lead!
A good run and pass from Kiernan on the right found Brown unmarked in the area,he cut across the face of goal but delayed his shot and Worgan was able to make the block.
That was as good as it got for Town,because two minutes later,ex Town player,Michael Woods,crossed from the right for Effiong to head past James Belshaw into the far corner of the net.
In a game lacking in atmosphere,Town were unable to exert any late pressure,in spite of Simon Weaver introducing Joe Leesley,Jon Stead and Sam Jones into the attack.
To rub salt into the wound,in the final minute,Effiong turned smartly in the area to shoot past Belshaw and put the result beyond doubt.
As the crowd drifted home,at least they have the consolation of only having to wait until Tuesday to see if Town can get back to winning ways when they entertain Chorley.
Town,
Belshaw,Fallowfield,Burrell,Falkingham,W Smith,Hall,Emmett,Brown(Leesley 72),Beck(Stead 75),Muldoon(Jones 75),Kiernan.
Unused subs,Cracknell,G Smith
Booked,Beck Man of the Match, Emmett
Dover Athletic,
Worgan,Passley,Lokko,De Havilland,Reason,Woods,Effiong,L’Ghoul,Munns,Gobern,Rigg.
Unused subs,Mersin,Doe,Wratten,Hinchiri,Rooney.
Scorer,Effiong 69,89 Att.900
Referee,A Quelch
By John Harrison
