Harrogate Town made a storming start to the new season,with a 4-0 demolition of Nuneaton Town,at a bright and breezy CNG Stadium.
Nuneaton’s,Ashley Chambers,was well off target with an early strike,while for Town,George Thomson volleyed over the visitor’s bar.
A nasty collision between Ben Parker and James Belshaw gave Town’s management cause for concern,but both players were able to continue after treatment.
After seventeen minutes,Town struck the first blow when Simon Ainge won a corner and Thomson headed in Joe Leesley’s delivery from close range.
Leesley then had a chance to double Town’s lead when Ryan Fallowfield’s low cross found him unmarked at the far post,but he could only find the side netting.
Jordan Thewlis was next into the act when he cut in from the left leaving two defenders in his wake,but Tyrell Belford made a fine one handed save.
Chambers spurned a great chance to equalise in the final minute of the half when he rounded Belshaw,but shot into the side netting with Warren Burrell desperately trying to cover the goal.
On the hour,Ainge’s header from Thomson’s cross,came back off the underside of the crossbar and bounced to safety,but seconds later Town made it two.
Thewlis finished from close range as he turned in Ben Middleton’s attempt from Leesley’s corner.
Six minutes later,Thewlis got a slight touch from Leesley’s powerful free kick after Jack Emmett had been brought down, to put the game beyond Nuneaton.
With only eight minutes left,Emmett was upended in the area and Ainge completed the scoring when he blasted the resulting penalty past Belford.
Two late strikes from visiting subs,Tweed and Nicholson, forced saves from Belshaw,but the Town goal remained intact.
Town,
1 Belshaw,2 Fallowfield, 3 Parker, 4 Falkingham, 5 Middleton, 6 Burrell, 7 Thomson, 8 Emmett (Vann 83), 9 Ainge (c), 10 Thewlis,11 Leesley.
Unused subs, 12 Kennedy, 13 Cracknell, 14 Lees, 15 Day. Bookings nil
Scorers, Thomson 17,Thewlis 60,66, Ainge 82 pen. Att.663
Nuneaton,
1 Belford, 2 Trotman 3 C Wildin, 4 Scott (Tweed 53), 5 Gascoigne, 6Heaton, 7 Beswick (c)(Nicholson 53), 8 Daniels, 9 Chambers, 10 Hickey, 11 Ball (Brennan 74).
Unused subs,12 L Wildin 13 Taylor. Bookings C Wildin,Scott,Beswick.
