Harrogate Town kept up their good start with a hard fought win at rain soaked North Ferriby.
The pitch passed a three thirty pm inspection and held up well despite the continuous downpour.
Unchanged Town had an early chance to take the lead, but George Thomson’s free kick was brilliantly turned over the angle of post and bar by Ross Durrant.
A Joe Leesley break down the left, ended with Simon Ainge’s shot from his centre being diverted for a corner.
However,Ferriby were mounting some quick raids and James Belshaw had to race smartly off his line to clear from Alberto Seidi.
Ten minutes before the break a ball through the home defence released Jordan Thewlis,one on one,with Durrant,but the keeper saved well with his feet to prevent Town taking the lead.
As the half ended, Seidi took advantage of hesitation in the visitor’s defence to force Belshaw to save with his legs to keep it all square at half time.
Both keepers were called into decisive action just after the restart.Firstly, Durrant did well to block Ainge’s close range effort,before Belshaw was at full stretch to tip Curtis Bateson’s lofted shot over the bar.
On fiftynine minutes it was Town who broke the deadlock.
Jack Emmett’s through ball saw Thewlis brought down by Durrant and Ainge sidefooted the ensuing penalty past the keeper to open Town’s account.
Five minutes later,Town doubled their lead when a Thomson corner was only half cleared to Leesley and he drove into the net through a crowd of players.
Ferriby sub,Kyle Dixon,made a late break but shot well wide and it only remained for Dom Knowles to make a welcome late return,before Referee Garreth Rhodes,halted proceedings.
Town,
1 Belshaw,2 Fallowfield, 3 Parker,4 Falkingham,5 Middleton,6 Burrell, 7 Thomson (Vann 75),8 Emmett,9 Ainge(c) (Day 90),10 Thewlis (Knowles 87),11 Leesley.
Unused subs,Kennedy,Cracknell
Scorers,Ainge 59 pen,Leesley 64. Bookings Thewlis,Leesley
North Ferriby,
1 Durrant, 2 Barrows (Dixon 73),3 Brogan (c), 4 Johnson, 5 Gray, 6 Skelton, 7 Russell,8 Bateson (Fry 69),
9 Seidi, 10 Pugh (Ambalu 63),11 Emerton.
Unused subs,Rzonca,Cooke. Booking Bateson Att.274
By John Harrison
