Harrogate Town progressed into the 4th Qualifying Round of the F A Cup with a 2-0 victory over Bradford P A,at a wet and windy Horsfall Stadium.
Town made one change from Saturday,bringing in Noel Burdett to replace Jack Emmett.
Town’s,Liam Agnew,had the first chance of the match when he shot over Avenue’s bar after eight minutes.
Three minutes later,the excellent Oli Johnson almost gave the home side the lead when his shot came back off the inside of the upright and trickled across Town’s goal before running out for a goal kick.
Next,it was the Avenue woodwork that was rattled,after a Joe Leesley shot took a deflection and sailed over Steve Drench,before bouncing off the crossbar.
BPA were testing the visitor’s defence and Ryan Fallowfield cleared well at the back post,while the dependable,Terry Kennedy, blocked Nicky Clee’s centre which would have set up Johnson.
Avenue,made a powerful start to the second half with Nicky Wroe’s,51st minute volley,cannoning into Town’s crossbar,and Fallowfield had to divert a goal bound Johnson drive over the bar.
With around twenty minutes left and the small crowd not relishing the thought of extra time,Town scored.
George Thomson’s free kick found Leesley and his flashing drive took a deflection of a defender to wrong foot Drench and enter the net.
The ubiquitous Johnson almost came back with a quick response,but his header from a free kick passed over the bar.
Town’s superior fitness was evident in the final few minutes and Leesley made the game safe after eightyeight minutes,when BPA sub,Danny Boshell,headed his corner into his own net.
Town will be at home on the fourteenth of October,when they will meet either Gainsborough Trinity or Leamington,who replay this evening.
Town,Belshaw,Fallowfield,Parker(O’Hanlon 90),Falkingham,Kennedy,Burrell,Thomson,Agnew,Burdett(Curry 59),Thewlis(Vann 77),Leesley.
Unused subs,Cracknell,Middleton,Day.
Scorers,Leesley 71,Danny Boshell 88 O G. Booked Falkingham Att.393
Bradford P A, Drench,Ross,Kelly,Wroe,Havern,Toulson(N Boshell 86),Brooksby(Nowakowski 82),Vidal (D Boshell 66),Boyes,Johnson,Clee.
Unused subs,Spencer,Hall,Knowles,Knight. Booked Clee.
Referee M Rawcliffe.
By John Harrison.
