Harrogate Town 0 – 1 Histon F C

14 September 2013

A 61st minute wonder strike by Histon’s, Nathan Hicks, condemned Harrogate to their first home defeat of the season.

Town’s, Craig MacGillivray was forced into early action when he had to turn Kaine Sheppard’s cross shot for a corner.

Harrogate retaliated instantly and a powerful run by Dwayne Samuels gained a corner, which was only half cleared to Adam Bolder, who shot over the bar.

Town kept up the pressure with Michael Woods firing over the top and Shane Killock heading a Bolder free kick at Cullum Kitscha in the visitor’s goal.

Histon were well in the game and Killock and Leigh Franks combined well to halt Sheppard’s run on the edge of the box,but the ball rebounded to Hicks,who fortunately for Town shot wide.

An accidental collision between Dave Merris and Michael Built, left the Town player receiving a long spell of treatment,but luckily,he was able to continue.

A short back header by Peter Grant let in Chris Hall but his goalbound lob was acrobatically saved by Kitscha.

It was then Town’s turn to threaten, a superb crossfield ball from Bolder created an opening for Craig Nelthorpe,he quickly cut inside and produced a curler which bounced off the top of the bar.

However, Town had a let off when a wicked Joseph Asensi free kick was headed against the inside of the upright and shortly afterwards Lewis Taafe forced a diving save from MacGillivray.

Harrogate enjoyed a purple patch either side of the interval, starting with Bolder’s snap shot being turned for a corner,from which Killock’s header was cleared off the line and Hall’s follow up went narrowly wide.

Soon after the break,Nelthorpe’s corner fell to Woods who rattled the Histon crossbar, before moments later,he headed Merris’s pinpoint centre over the top when well placed.

The decisive moment came just after the hour when Hicks picked up a clearance from a free kick and scored with a 30 yard thunderbolt into the bottom corner, which gave MacGillivray no chance.

Town threw on all three subs as they pressed strongly for an equaliser.

The influential Anton Brown headed a long Franks throw over the top and Kitscha did well to parry a trademark Merris 25 yard screamer.

The returning Cleveland Taylor then made space on the left,but fellow sub Dominic Rowe couldn’t convert his centre.

It took two defenders to halt Liam Hardy’s strong run and in stoppage time Brown had a shot scrambled clear,but Histon held on to take all three points.

Town 1 MacGillivray, 2 Samuels, 3 Merris, 4 Bolder ( Hardy 71 mins), 5 Franks, 6 Killock (c), 7 Worsfold ( Rowe 63), 8 Brown, 9 Hall,10 Woods (Taylor 63), 11 Nelthorpe.

Unused subs, 15 Nowakowski, 16 Bloomer.

Bookings Bolder, Nelthorpe Att 548.

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