Harrogate Town 3 – 1 Barrow

In their last home match of the season, Harrogate treated the large Bank Holiday crowd to an exciting 3-1 victory.
Town were ahead within two minutes when visiting keeper, Tony McMillan, could only palm away Matt Bloomer’s header from Alex Metcalfe’s corner and Anton Brown swooped in to head home from close range.
Town were in full flight with Dominic Rowe having a shot diverted for a corner and Brown heading into the sidenetting.
Shell shocked Barrow began to recover and Bloomer saved Town with a last ditch clearance from Ted Cribley’s centre, while Craig MacGillivray was called into action to keep out a Richard Davies volley.
On 39 minutes, Barrow equalised through their impressive skipper,Duran Reynolds, whose near post header from Cribley’s corner gave MacGillivray no chance.
In a carbon copy of the first half, Town doubled their lead with an early goal.
Dan Clayton broke down the left and his superb crossfield pass inside Reynolds found Ashley Worsfold who unleashed an unstoppable shot from the edge of the area.
Town piled on the pressure and a Metcalfe free kick forced McMillan to tip over the bar.
The Town faithful did not have to wait long for another goal,and this time it was Liam Hardy who was the provider as he made ground down the middle before finding Clayton who advanced before tucking the ball inside the far post.
With twenty minutes remaining Barrow were given a route back into the match when Bloomer,who otherwise had an excellent match in central defence,blotted his copy book by bringing down Niall Cowperthwaite after he had been caught in possession.
Nick Rushton stepped up to the plate but MacGillivray dived the right way to magnificently keep out the penalty.
Paddy Lacey whistled a thirty yard drive past Town’s upright and sub Gareth Arnison was denied by a block from MacGillivray,but it was Town who went closest to scoring.
Lacey’s foul on Worsfold presented Conor Sellars with a free kick on the edge of the area,but McMillan saved under the bar,and Sellars then found Dave Merris who crossed to Worsfold,but his effort was off target.
Town,
1 MacGillivray, 2 Samuels 3 Merris, 4 Brown, 5 Bloomer, 6 Heath (c), 7 Rowe, 8 Metcalfe, 9 Worsfold, 10 Hardy (Sellars 86), 11 Clayton.
Unused subs,12 Woods,14 Nelthorpe, 15 Mallory, 17 Taylor. Man of the Match Brown
Scorers Brown 2,Worsfold 50, Clayton 62. Bookings Samuels,Merris,Metcalfe,Clayton.
Att.582
By John Harrison.