Harrogate Town negotiated their first hurdle in the West Riding County Cup,with a 2-0 victory over Brighouse Town.
A much changed Harrogate dominated the early play with Andy Gascoigne and Marcus Day just missing the target with powerful shots.
On ten minutes Cecil Nyoni broke from midfield and sent Paul Clayton through on goal,but he was unceremoniously grassed before he could pull the trigger.
Gascoigne stepped up to take the penalty and sent Paul Hagreen the wrong way, to open the scoring.
Jack Emmett was creating problems for the home defence and on eighteen minutes he found Marcus Day who hit a brilliant twenty yard drive past Hagreen.
Brighouse began to hit back and Tom Stewart did well to turn a Connah Judson shot for a corner,and Andy McWilliams cleared a Brighouse header off the line.
As half time beckoned,Hagreen kept Brighouse in the game when he tipped a James Cadman shot just over the bar.
Day spurned an early second half chance by shooting well over,but it was Brighouse who began to apply the pressure as Town’s lack of match fitness began to show.
Stewart saved well from Tom Haigh and Kurt Harris and the visiting defence made several vital blocks to preserve the lead.
As the game reached its conclusion,Emmett and Gascoigne skied over the bar,but Town almost made it three in stoppage time.
Sub Callum Robinson found Clayton on the right and his cross was headed against the post by Durrelle Goodison with his first touch of the match.
Town entertain Barnoldswick in the quarter final on a date yet to be announced.
Town
1 Stewart, 2 Bloomer, 3 McWilliams, 4 Nyoni, 5 Coates, 6 McGurk (c),7 Cadman (Robinson 60), 8 Gascoigne, 9 Clayton, 10 Day, 11 Emmett (Goodison 89).
Unused subs,14 Prowiss,15 Bligh
Scorers,Gascoigne 10 penalty,Day 18. Booked Coates Att.n/k
By John Harrison
