A fabulous strike,two minutes into the second half, from goal machine, Brendan Daniels,kept Harrogate well in the title race.
New loan signing from Rotherham, Jerry Yates, replaced the injured, Paul Clayton, and the suspended, Cecil Nyoni, made way for Paul Thirlwell,while Lloyd Kerry also made Town’s starting line up.
The match was preceded by a minutes silence for Town’s legendary, long serving groundsman, Alf Dunnington,who passed away on Friday.
Harrogate roared into the attack with Kerry forcing,Ethan Ross, to fingertip a shot over the bar and Luke Shiels heading a Daniels corner goalwards, only for Ross to save on the line.
Next, new boy, Yates fired Joe Colbeck’s cut back wide of the far post, as Town kept up the pressure.
Worcester eventually began to pose a threat, with Shaun Harrad hammering a free kick into the wall after a Shiels foul and Sam Miniham racing forward to blast a wild shot high over the new kop.
Peter Crook escaped with a booking after the ball struck his arm just outside the area,but redeemed himself when he saved well from Harrad, after Sean Geddes’s free kick took a deflection off the defensive wall.
On thirtyeight minutes a rash challenge from Andy McWilliams on Miniham earned Worcester a penalty which Crook blocked brilliantly from Geddes, with Thirlwell on hand to clear the rebound.
The decisive moment in the match came after fortyseven minutes.
Lewis Turner’s throw in was flicked to Dom Knowles by Yates and he found Daniels unmarked twentyfive yards out and once again his trusty left foot found the back of the net.
Town then made life difficult for themselves,when on fiftyeight minutes, McWilliams received his marching orders for a second bookable offence, after once again fouling Minicham.
Matt Bloomer replaced Yates and Jack Emmett took over from Daniels as Town reorganised.
Harrogate almost doubled their lead when Ross could only parry a vicious low cross from Joe Colbeck into the path of Knowles whose goal bound shot was cleared off the line.
Then the mercurial Jack Emmett nearly scored with his first kick as he cut in from the left and shaved the crossbar with a powerful shot.
Another penetrative run from Emmett created a chance for Colbeck and Ross had to pull out a brilliant save to turn his rising drive round the post.
Although Worcester had plenty of the remaining play territorially,they were unable to create any clear cut chances.
Apart from a long range drive from Jamie Smith at Crook and a few wild shots well over the top, the Town defence was well in command.
Harrogate Town 1 Worcester City 0 Att. 535
Town
1 Crook, 2 Turner, 3 McWilliams, 4 Thirlwell, 5 Shiels, 6 Ellis (c), 7 Colbeck, 8 Kerry, 9 Yates (Bloomer 61), 10 Knowles (Swain 89), 11 Daniels (66),
Unused subs, 15 McGurk, 17 Thewlis.
Sending off McWilliams,Bookings Crook,Thirlwell,Kerry
Scorer Daniels 47, Man off the Match Crook. Att 535
Report by John Harrison
Photography by Craig Hurle
