Harrogate Town suffered their first home defeat of the season, with a 3-0 reverse against Nuneaton Town.
Unchanged Harrogate made the early running and Dom Knowles headed a Joe Colbeck centre over the bar, after good initial play by Cecil Nyoni.
Shortly afterwards, Knowles went close with an angled drive,but it was the visitors who took the lead on seven minutes.
Ex West Ham star, Marlon Harewood, squared to Aaron Williams and his low drive beat Peter Crook from the edge of the area, via the inside of the post.
A Nyoni foul on on David Morgan enabled Morgan to hit the free kick just over,but Town hit back strongly.
Brendan Daniels,tested Jordan Smith with a low drive and Joe Colbeck provided a stream of crosses from the right wing, one of which Knowles sidefooted narrowly over the crossbar.
Unfortunately for Town, it was Nuneaton who scored again moments before the break.
James Reid’s deep corner was headed in by Harewood who used his vast experience to make room for himself in the penalty box.
Within two minutes of the restart, Harewood’s clever backheel sent Williams clear, but his effort sailed wide of the far post.
Nuneaton survived five consecutive corners as Town sought to pull a goal back,but they were caught square as Harewood broke clear,luckily his composure deserted him and he blazed well wide.
Nyoni,Clayton and and Daniels,made way for Lloyd Kerry, Jordan Thewlis and Jack Emmett,but before they could make any impact, Nuneaton scored their third.
On sixtyfive minutes, Elliott Whitehouse tried his luck from thirty yards out and the ball took a wicked deflection before spinning into the back of the net off the inside of the post.
Town’s pretty approach play generally broke down on the rugged Nuneaton defence, but they did also create a few good chances.
Emmett forced an excellent one handed save from Smith after being played in by Knowles,and Knowles himself went close from a Kerry cross.
Tom Platt headed a Lewis Turner centre wide from eight yards out and a Luke Shiels shot from Andy McWilliams’s cross rebounded off Whitehouse, forcing Smith to make a late save.
It was Nuneaton who almost had the last laugh though, when sub Jack Dyer, broke through but Crook made a vital save to keep the score down to three.
Harrogate Town 0 Nuneaton Town 3 Att 503.
Town
1 Crook, 2 Turner, 3 McWilliams, 4 Platt, 5 Shiels, 6 McGurk (c) 7 Colbeck, 8 Nyoni (Kerry 59), 9 Clayton (Thewlis 59), 10 Knowles, 11 Daniels (Emmett 63)
Unused subs, 15 Swain, 17 Bloomer.
Bookings nil Att 503
Report by John Harrison, photography by Craig Hurle
