In one of the few National North League games to survive the incessant rain,Harrogate Town ran out worthy winners over Stockport County and took their first ever points from Edgeley Park.
It took Harrogate only three minutes to take the lead when Jerry Yates reacted quickly to turn in a Brendan Daniels cross, even though he was on the ground after a collision with County’s, Chris Smalley.
Town continued to press and County keeper,Andreas Arestidou, did well to turn a goalbound Lewis Turner shot for a corner, after the Town defender had been played in by Jack Emmett.
County cleared the resulting corner to Jonny Margetts whose flick on sent loan signing from Everton,Delial Brewster clear, and he raced through to slot home past Peter Crook for a twelfth minute equaliser.
Town skipper, Danny Ellis,crashed an header against County’s crossbar, which luckily for the Hatters rebounded into the grateful arms of Arestidou,but it was County who had a golden opportunity to take the lead when Margetts was bundled over in the penalty area.
Crook however, had done his homework on ex Town striker Margetts and dived to his left to keep out the well struck penalty.
Town had the wind at their backs after the break as both teams battled for supremacy.
Dave McGurk turned a Town corner wide of the upright, while shortly afterwards Dom Knowles
missed with a long range drive.
With seventy one minutes on the clock, a double substitution by Simon Weaver,swung the game Town’s way.
Knowles and Yates made way for Paul Clayton and Jordan Thewlis respectively and it took only three minutes for the move to bear fruit.
Lloyd Kerry’s long pass found Thewlis who then beat off a challenge from Smalley before hammering the ball past Arestidou from an acute angle.
This victory moved Town back into the playoff places and was ample compensation for the 75 travelling fans, many of whom arrived half an hour late because of horrendous traffic problems on the M62.
So its on to Monday,the 28th,when we entertain Chorley,weather permitting.
Town
1 Crook, 2 Turner, 3 Swain, 4 Thirlwell, 5 McGurk, 6 Ellis (c), 7 Emmett, 8 Kerry, 9 Knowles (Clayton 71), 10 Yates (Thewlis 71), 11 Daniels.
Unused subs,Bloomer,Colbeck,Cadman Booking Daniels
Scorers,Yates 3, Thewlis 74. Att.3326 (75 away).
By John Harrison
