Harrogate Town moved to within six points of leaders, Salford City, after a comfortable 3-0 victory over basement club North Ferriby United.
Following their excellent F A Trophy win at Wrexham, Town remained unchanged,apart from Jack Emmett and Simon Ainge,replacing Louis Swain and Ellis Hudson on the bench.
An early foul by ex Townie, Craig Nelthorpe, gave Town an opportunity, but George Thomson’s free kick was blocked by Ferriby’s massed defence.
Joe Leesley fired a low twentyfive yard drive at Ross Durrant in the visitor’s goal, but although Town were in the ascendency, they tended to squander possession with a series of over hit crosses.
Eventually, Town’s domination finally bore fruit just after the half hour mark, when Leesley’s deep corner was headed in at the far post by Terry Kennedy.
Town kept up the pressure with Thomson testing Durrant with a couple of shots, before Leesley curled a shot into the grateful arms of the keeper from the edge of the area.
The final action of the half saw the Villager’s, Jake Picton, receive a yellow card from Referee, Simon Mather, for a foul on Mark Beck.
Ferriby were first into action in the second period,with Nelthorpe blasting a free kick over the top, after Carl Stewart had been fouled.
On fiftythree minutes Town grabbed their second when Kennedy shrugged off the attention of Picton to force home a Thomson corner.
In retaliation, Ferriby threw on speedy subs,Luke Lofts and Kojo Keyi,and for the first time in the match,the visitors began to pose a threat.
James Belshaw was called into action to save from Jordan Cooke,after the full back had raced half the length of the field.
However, on sixtyseven minutes, Town subs Emmett and Ainge combined to set up Leesley, who rifled in Town’s third.
The Villager’s goal then bore a charmed life as Town mounted wave after wave of attacks, while at the other end, Ferriby’s, Callum Rzonca, spurned a late chance when he shot into the side netting.
Unfortunately,the game ended on a sour note for Harrogate when Ainge was dismissed for an alleged elbow on Picton.
Town,
Belshaw,Fallowfield,Parker (c),Falkingham(Emmett 62),Kennedy,Burrell,Thomson(Thewlis 69),Kerry,Beck(Ainge 62),Agnew,Leesley.
Unused subs,Cracknell,Vann. Booked Agnew,Sent off Ainge Att 1209
Scorers,Kennedy 32,53.Leesley 67 Man of the Match Kennedy
North Ferriby United,
Durrant,Cooke,Walters,Johnson (Lofts 63),Picton,Skelton,Rzonca,Russell (c),Stewart,Nelthorpe,Slew (Keyi 63).
Unused subs;Forrester,Exall,Harrison. Booked Picton Referee Simon Mather
By John Harrison.
