WARRINGTON Town got their play off bid back on track last night with a 1-3 victory at Harrogate Railway.
Town handed a debut to right back River Humphreys, while missing influential captain Mike Tomlinson, due to work commitments.
Despite this, it was Town who started like a steam train, taking the lead after only two minutes, powerful striker Gavin Salmon, picking up the ball on the edge of the penalty area before bursting past his marking and finding the net with a scorching angled drive that Harrogate keeper Craig Parry could not keep out. After this, the game settled
down, with Town having the better of the game, and restricting the home side to half chances, the closest of which saw winger Colin Hunter shooting across the face of Paul Pritchard’s goal. Industrious midfielder Sam Finley was next to go close for Town seeing his lob go too close to Parry, before seeing his mazy run into Harrogate’s penalty area halted by a last gasp challenge.
Just before the half hour, Town had what looked like a certain penalty turned down, when Salmon saw his shot handled in the penalty area, but referee Mr Peart waved away the Town players appeals. Harrogate’s best chance of the half came six minute before the end of the half, striker Luke Durham finding himself through on goal, but his weak shot was no trouble for Pritchard in the Town goal. Less than a minute later, stand in captain, Tom Hardwick was forced to clear a dangerous attack as the home side pushed forward looking for an equaliser. Three minutes before half time, Town found a second goal, Finley picking up a throw in on the edge of the penalty area, before turning, advancing towards goal and unleashing a low drive beyond Parry and into the net. On the stroke of half time, Town almost went three goals up, striker Alan Collins beating the offside trap but saw his square ball for Salmon put behind for a corner by the Harrogate defence.
Harrogate had their best spell of the game at the start of the second half, firstly Durham shooting weakly at Pritchard before doing the same again soon afterwards.
Harrogate’s best spell came to a crashing end just before the hour mark, when Town found the goal that killed the game off, unmarked winger Chris Gahgan, getting onto the end of Salmon’s cross cum shot to slam home past a helpless Parry and into the corner. Two minutes later, Town possibly should have had a fourth goal, Gahgan latching onto a rebound in the Harrogate penalty area, only to see his cross kicked away, when it may have been better to have a shot on target.
Town continued to control the game, without really making too many chances, as they tried to see out the game. Harrogate kept trying to push forward, looking for a way back into the game, and after seeing an effort deflected for a corner by Louis Corrigan, the home side did get on the scoresheet, captain Paul Stansfield given time and space to head home the resulting corner. That was not the end of the chances though, as shortly before the end, Alan Collins headed Corrigan’s excellent cross narrowly wide of the target.
Town: Pritchard, River Humphreys (d) (Jukes, 79), Corrigan, Wright, T Hardwick (c), Wade (Andrew Heald (d) 58), Hamid, Finley, Salmon (R Hardwick, 73), Collins, Gahgan, subs not used Thompson, Duffy
