Harrogate Town’s six match unbeaten run came to an unexpected end,as they slipped to a disappointing 2-0 home defeat to Wrexham.
Unchanged Town started the match full of confidence and subjected the visitor’s defence to ten minutes of intense pressure,which ended with Jon Stead forcing Rob Lainton to make a diving save to keep his goal intact.
But Wrexham’s first attack ended with them taking a surprise lead against the run of play.
Lloyd Kerry brought down Dan Jarvis 25 yards from goal;James Jennings took the resulting free kick and curled a superb strike past James Belshaw into the top corner to stun the large Town following.
A clearly stung Town hit back with a vengeance and Lainton did well to tip a rising drive from Jack Diamond over his crossbar.
Town kept up the pressure and Warren Burrell’s header from Alex Bradley’s corner ricocheted off the upright and across goal to safety,while a shot on the turn from Stead brought another fine save from Lainton.
However,as half time approached,it was Wrexham who nearly doubled their lead,when JJ Hooper latched onto Luke Summerfield’s pass and let fly with a vicious shot which Belshaw kept out with a diving save low down to his left.
Unfortunately,after the break,Town couldn’t replicate their first half form and the Welshmen began to take control of the match.
Town were reduced to playing a long ball game which made little impression on the strong Wrexham defence.
Both Hooper and Paul Rutherford tested Belshaw,as the visitors pressed and with twenty minutes left, Simon Weaver, introduced new signing,Kian Harratt,to the fray.
It made little difference,because within two minutes,Wrexham struck again,because the pacy Hooper scored a fine individual goal,when he fired into the far corner after a strong run.
Although,Brendan Kiernan replaced Jack Muldoon,as Town tried to salvage something from the match,
It was Wrexham sub Jordan Ponticelli,who almost made it three,when deep into stoppage time,his lob over Belshaw fell just wide of the upright.
Luckily for Harrogate,most of the other results in the National League went in their favour,so they still retain second place in the table.
Town,
Belshaw,Falkingham,Burrell,Emmett(Harratt 71),Bradley,Stead,Kerry,Muldoon(Kiernan 78),Hall,Smith,Diamond.
Unused subs,Cracknell,Gallacher,Thomson. Booked Diamond
Town Man of the Match,Falkingham Att.2415(619).
Wrexham,
Lainton,Jennings,Pearson,Lawler,Summerfield,Young,Carrington,Rutherford,Kennedy,Jarvis(Keillor-Dunn 68),Hooper(Ponticelli 86).
Unused subs,Redmond,DibbleCleworth
Scorers,Jennings 11,Hooper 73. Booked Lainton,Jarvis
Referee,E Swallow.
