A goal inside the first minute was enough to give Gloucester victory over Town at Whaddon Road, Cheltenham.
Harrogate fielded an unchanged starting eleven, but new signing,Seb Carole,was given a place on the subs bench.
Town found themselves behind within seconds when they only half cleared a throw in and Tom Webb lashed the ball into the far corner of the net.
A clearly stung Harrogate soon recovered their composure and began to threaten the home goal.
Gloucester keeper, Jamie Stephens, punched away crosses from Craig Nelthorpe and Lloyd Kerry,before Kerry forced him into a full length save,which resulted in a corner.
Excellent link up play between Nelthorpe and James Walshaw created a chance for Jake Speight, but the overworked Stephens once again came to the Tiger’s rescue.
Gloucester’s isolated attacks were breaking down round the Town area with the rugged,Dave McGurk, making a series of crunching tackles. Adam Nowakowski and Kerry were dominating midfield while Lewis Turner’s raids down the right were stretching the Gloucester defence.
As half time approached,Walshaw and Kerry fashioned an opening for Speight but his rising drive flashed just the wrong side of the upright.
Once again, the Tigers almost caught Town napping after the break when Webb forced a diving save from Phil Barnes.
However,normal service was soon resumed,with Kerry shooting wide and Walshaw having a free kick saved at the foot of the post.
Carole, Lewis Swain and Jack Emmett were brought on as Town pushed forward, but as the finishing line loomed, Gloucester began to catch Town on the break.
Barnes saved well from sub, Charlie Griffin, when he broke through the Town defence and Adam Mann shot wide when Town failed to clear their lines.
Town mounted a series of late attacks in an attempt to rescue a point and McGurk ventured forward to head narrowly wide from Carole’s corner kick.
Gloucester desperately blocked a shot on the line in a goalmouth scramble,before Stephen’s turned Swain’s low drive from the edge of the area round the post.
Gloucester’s time wasting tactics began to frustrate Town and although the referee awarded five minutes added time,the Tigers cleverly ran down the clock by keeping the ball in the corner.
Gloucester City 1 Harrogate Town 0 Att. 332
Town
1 Barnes,2 Turner,3 Meynell,(Emmett 69),4 Nowakowski, 5 Bloomer, 6 McGurk (c), 7 Kerry, 8 Lenighan (Carole 63), 9 Speight (Swain 69), 10 Walshaw, 11 Nelthorpe.
Unused subs,13 Crook,15 Metcalfe Bookings McGurk Att 332.
By John Harrison
