In their latest pre-season friendly,Harrogate Town ran out comfortable 3-1 winners over a resolute Tadcaster Albion.
In a hard fought, but goalless first half, both sides missed good chances to break the deadlock.
For Town,Andy McWilliams skied a Jordan Thewlis cross over the bar,while both Lloyd Kerry and Royal Johnson forced good saves from Gary Stevens in the Albion goal.
Albion hit back with Joe Thornton breaking through the Town defence to bring an excellent save from Peter Crook and then a good passage of inter-passing ended with George Bissett shooting across Town’s goal.
The second half opened in sensational fashion with Town winning a series of corners and Connor Bower blasting two powerful shots off target.
On fifty minutes,Thewlis opened Town’s account when he advanced to the edge of Albion’s area
and beat Stevens with a low shot into the corner.
In a mad two minutes Albion conceded two penalties,twice bringing Thewlis down in the area,Danny Stimpson being the first culprit.
Thewlis took the first penalty himself but was denied by a superb diving save from Stevens.
Next Bower tried his luck, but blazed the second penalty way over the bar.
However,Town didn’t have long to wait for their second when a low centre from Johnson was hammered in at the far post by Louis Swain.
A string of substitutions for both teams followed and Town’s replacement keeper,Dan Atkinson,
had to make a flying save to keep out a well struck, Paddy Miller free kick.
With five minutes left Connor Bower finally got himself onto the scoresheet when he broke through on the right and scored with a scorching cross shot.
The final action belonged to Albion with Josh Barrett making ground and driving a low shot past Atkinson for a well deserved consolation goal.
Report by John Harrison
