Harrogate Town suffered a 3-2 loss at the Coral Windows Stadium as Bradford Park Avenue won the West Riding County Cup for a second consecutive season.
While Town aiming to put a run of results together before the play-offs for Avenue with safety almost assured, this was a chance for them to retain the cup, so it was an important game for both sides for different reasons.
Avenue had the first chance, Dylan Mottley-Henry was played through, but Town keeper Tom Stewart came out and bravely made a good save at the forwards feet.
Bradford then had a great chance to take the lead from the spot, this was after Lamin Colley had been fouled in the area, Richard Marshall took it, but he could not beat Stewart who saved well.
In a first half where Avenue had the key chances again they should have scored when Luke Shiels and Stewart mis communicated and the ball fell to Colley but as he looked set to tap the ball in, he was somehow tackled by Shiels and the ball went out for a corner.
Avenue would take the lead when Colley found room in the area from a cross and after taking a touch he scored.
Town’s first chance fell to Rob Worrall who hit an ambitious free-kick from 30 yards, which had to be pushed over the bar by Avenue’s keeper Ryan Jones.
Town started the second half brightly, with Mason Warren seeing an effort tipped over followed by Andy Gascoigne firing wide.
But Avenue were soon 2-0 up when Rees Webb-Foster scores with a fine free-kick, which curled into the bottom right hand corner.
Town could have got one back as the game drew to a close with good work by Paul Clayton leading to Marcus Day having a near open goal but he fired over.
With minutes to go, Town were back in it thanks to Day flicking a header past Jones.
Avenue then scored from the spot in added time with Richard Marshall scoring, but Town went up the other end and got a penalty of their own which Joe Colbeck scored calmly, but time ran out for Town and Avenue won the match.
Harrogate Town: 2
Day 87, Colbeck 90
Bradford Park Avenue: 3
Colley 37, Webb-Foster 53, Marshall 90
HT: 0-1
Att: 560
Harrogate Town: Stewart, Fallowfield, Riley, Worrall, Shiels (Coates 59), Foster, Cadman, Gascoigne (Colbeck 63), Day, Thewlis (Clayton 63) Warren
(Substitutes not used): Swain, Powis.
Bradford Park Avenue: Jones, Patterson, Thornton, Dean, Qualter, Ainge, Mottley-Henry (King 70) Marshall, Colley, Webb-Foster (Chilaka 70) St Juste.
Unused substitutes: Schofield, Chippendale, Mather.
By Non-league reporter Tom Feaheny
Twitter: @thomasfeaheny
Photography by Craig Hurle
