Harrogate Town 1 Fylde 2: Stoppage-time penalty makes it a hat-trick of defeats for Town

Mark Beck’s late strike looked to have earned Simon Weaver’s team a deserved point on Saturday afternoon, only for Danny Rowe to atone for an earlier miss from 12 yards by deciding matters from the spot.

Town had begun brightly, skipper Josh Falkingham shooting narrowly wide as early as the third minute.

Kelvin Langmead and Liam Kitching were then off-target with headers when well-placed either side of visiting captain Neill Byrne volleying a Joe Leesley free kick against his own post. The hosts did however lose their way around the half-hour-mark with Fylde finishing the first period the stronger, Rowe rattling the crossbar when he ought to have scored.

It took less than two minutes of the second half for the Coasters to edge ahead, Rowe curling in a 30-yard free kick. Town responded well to falling behind but could have been two down after Nick Haughton won Fylde a 68th-minute penalty, only for James Belshaw to save Rowe’s strike.

Substitute Beck then swivelled and lashed into the roof of the net from close range eight minutes from time to seemingly earn Town a point, yet there was to be a sting in the tail.

Serhat Tasdemir beat the Harrogate offside trap and was adjudged to have been brought down inside the box before he could pull the trigger, Rowe making no mistake on this occasion to win the game in the second minute of added time.

Harrogate Town’s hosts tomorrow, FC Halifax Town, drew 1-1 at Gateshead on Saturday.