Harrogate Town climbed to third place in the National League with a 1-0 win over a negative Maidenhead United,at the CNG Stadium.
Unchanged Town, found it hard to build any sort of rhythm against Maidenhead, who were determined to slow the game down at every opportunity.
Town’s best moments of the half came when Lloyd Kerry blazed a pass from Jack Muldoon well wide, after good approach play from Jon Stead and Jack Diamond and an Alex Bradley free kick was diverted over the visitor’s bar.
Stead then had a golden opportunity to give Town the lead on thirty-four minutes,but his close range effort was turned away by the “Magpie’s” keeper, Chris Dunn.
The Magpie’s best chance of the half came when Joe Ellul’s header from a long throw forced James Belshaw into a diving save.
Unfortunately the half ended with a sickening clash of heads between the Magpie’s, Danny Whitehall and Town’s Will Smith, which resulted in Smith being replaced by George Smith at half time.
It was the visitor’s who almost drew first blood after the restart, when the dangerous, James Akintunde forced Belshaw into a fine diving save to keep his goal intact.
On the hour, Town finally broke the deadlock when a strong run down the right by Bradley ended with a corner, and Bradley’s delivery to the far post was turned into the net by Connor Hall.
Simon Weaver replaced Stead with Mark Beck, who was immediately booked for a late challenge.
Falling behind, brought Maidenhead out of their defensive mode and Ellul headed a James Comley centre over the bar,while Akintunde shot past the upright,and James Cassidy was denied by an excellent save from Belshaw.
However,a turbulent last few minutes saw the visitor’s reduced to nine men with Rene Steer receiving a second yellow card after a foul on Muldoon and sub,Josh Kelly, was shown a straight red for a wild challenge on Josh Falkingham.
Town,
Belshaw,Falkingham,Burrell,Emmett(Kiernan 73),Bradley,Stead(Beck 62),Kerry,Muldoon,Hall,W Smith(G Smith 45),Diamond.
Unused subs,Thomson,Cracknell.
Scorer,Hall 60. Booked Beck.
Ton,Man of the Match,Hall. Att.1281(46 away.)
Maidenhead United,
Dunn,Clerima,Steer,Ellul,Comley,Cassidy,Whitehall(Kelly 74),Twumasi,Akintunde(Mensah 84),Upward,(Fenelon 80),Massey.
Unused subs,Davies,Smile. Booked,Comley,Steer,Ellul,Mensah.
Sent off,Steer,Kelly.
Referee,D Middleton.
