Harrogate Town bowed out of this season’s F A Cup with a 2-0 home defeat to F C Halifax Town.
Ben Parker and Jon Paul Pittman returned from injury for the Wetherby Roaders and new loan signing,Reece Webb-Foster, was given a place on the subs bench.
Harrogate made a shaky start with a loose back pass which presented Halifax with a corner,and then a Simon Ainge clearance ricocheted off Jordan Sinnott and rebounded off Peter Crook’s upright.
Town gradually began to make inroads into the visitor’s defence and Andy Gascoinge just failed to turn in a Joe Leesley centre at the far post.
For the Shaymen,a Josh McDonald run ended with a weak shot at Crook,while David Lynch curled a shot wide of the post.
Town hit back with Ainge heading a Leesley cross wide and Pittman shooting wide on the turn from twentyfive yards.
Unfortunately,that was Pittman’s last action of the match, because he landed awkwardly from a jump and limped off to be replaced by Jack Emmett.
A superb ball inside the full back from Andi Thanoj released Joe Colbeck down the right but Leesley just failed to reach his teasing centre.
Town’s best chance of a disappointing first half fell to Colbeck after an Ainge header had been cleared into his path,but he blazed well over the bar.
The second half started with a careless back header from Scott Garner which almost beat visiting keeper, Steve Drench,while at the other end Richard Penket shot wide for the Shaymen when well placed.
With twenty minutes left, the Shaymen took the lead, when Sinnott’s cross shot took a wicked deflection off Thirlwell and stranded the luckless Crook.
Town tried to hit back and a Colbeck cross was headed out to Lewis Turner,but his shinned effort was wide of the post.
As five minutes added time beckoned,Ainge brought down sub,Jake Hibbs, on the edge of the area and was dismissed by Referee,Billy Khatib,for a second bookable offence.
The ten men threw everything at Halifax in an attempt to gain a late equaliser with Peter Crook joining in the attacks.
However,with seconds remaining,Hibbs put the final nail into Town’s coffin,when he shot in from the halfway line after picking up Crook’s misplaced clearance.
Harrogate Town 0 F CHalifax Town 2 Att. 1791
Town 1 Crook, 2 Turner,3 Parker (Webb-Foster 69), 4 Thanoj, 5 Ainge,(c),6 Thirlwell,7 Colbeck 8 Burrell,9 Pittman (Emmett 32), 10 Gascoigne (Platt 55), 11 Leesley.
Unused subs, 16 Chilaka,17 Day, 18 Stewart,19 Purkiss. Sending off Ainge,Booking Thirlwell.
Man of the Match Ainge, Att.1791.
Report by John Harrison
