Harrogate Town gained their first win since early October with a 2-1 victory over mid table, AFC Telford United.
The match was preceded by a minutes applause for the victims of the Brazilian air disaster.
Paul Thirlwell was drafted into the Town defence to replace Luke Shiels who was ill and ex Townie, James Cadman returned from Hyde F C, to gain a place on the subs bench.
Early Town possession ended with a forty yard crossfield pass from Andi Thanoj which released Nicky Clee down the right, but Jon Paul Pittman turned his cross wide.
Another Town old boy, Dwayne Samuels,deflected a Clee shot for a corner which came to nothing,before James Montgomery made a point blank save from Pittman after Lloyd Kerry had sprung the offside trap.
Telford were struggling to make an impression on the game, and it took a foul on Elliott Hodge to give Josh Wilson an opportunity with a free kick, which he fired wide.
Cadman replaced Kerry at the break and Town began to turn the screw.
Wayne Brooksby’s shot from Clee’s cut back bounced over the Buck’s bar and Cadman hit the upright from Pittman’s lay off.
On fifty-eight minutes,the long overdue goal arrived when Pittman got his foot onto Cadman’s centre and the ball curled into the net via the far post.
Telford’s,Conor McCarthy,cut in from the left and forced Chris Elliott into a fine diving save,but with four minutes left, Town appeared to make the game safe.
Joe Colbeck found Joe Leesley free on the left and his cross was headed in by Pittman from close range.
A clever back heel by Pittman from Cadman’s pass was palmed away by Montgomery, but then Town,once again, nearly became unstuck.
A last minute headed goal by Telford’s,Jon Royle,from a free kick,gave the Buck’s a lifeline and the Town camp some anxious moments, but they safely negotiated four minutes added time to get back to winning ways.
Town
1 Elliott, 2 Turner, 3 Swain, 4 Thanoj, 5 Ainge (c), 6 Thirlwell, 7 Burrell, 8 Kerry (Cadman 45),9 Pittman, 10 Brooksby (Colbeck 62), 11 Clee (Leesley 76).
Unused subs,12 Chilaka,17 Emmett. Booking Colbeck
Scorer Pittman,58,86. Man of the Match Swain. Att 645
Report by John Harrison.
