Town and Shaymen through in the Trophy

Harrogate Town made it three derby wins out of three, beating local rivals York City by a 2-1 scoreline to seal their progress into the second round of the FA Trophy.
Dominic Knowles.                                  Picture: Matt KirkhamDominic Knowles.                                  Picture: Matt Kirkham
Dominic Knowles. Picture: Matt Kirkham

Lewis Hawkins should have put the Minstermen ahead in the 18th minute, however a defensive mix-up on the edge of the Harrogate penalty area soon afterwards, culminated in Alex Bray beating home goalkeeper James Belshaw to the ball and slotting into an empty net.

Town’s response was swift enough and the scores were levelled shortly before the half-hour mark.

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Dominic Knowles got on the end of a bouncing ball into the left-hand channel, using his body well to hold off marker Joe Davis as he advanced towards the edge of the box, from where he bent a delicious right-footed strike into the bottom corner.

The hosts should have been ahead before the interval, though Joe Leesley sent the ball out of the ground when it looked easier to score from Jack Muldoon’s pull back.

The second period began in scrappy fashion, strong winds and pouring rain no doubt playing their part as both teams struggled for fluency on a freezing cold afternoon.

Knowles fired just wide from 25 yards before Leeds United loanee Liam Kitching turned the game on its head in the 66th minute, lashing into the roof of the net following a scramble from a corner.

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Belshaw did have to save to make from York substitute Macaulay Langstaff in the closing stages, but Town were good value for their victory in the end.

Farsley Celtic manager Adam Lakeland was left proud but defeated as his Evo-Stik Premier League side lost 4-3 to National League North outfit AFC Telford in the first round.

Telford took the lead against the run of play through Daniel Udoh but Farsley got the goal their play deserved when Nathan Cartman bundled home.

Ryan Barnett and Jon Royle gave Telford a two-goal advantage but Celtic were not done yet, Jack Dyche heading home Lewis Turner’s cross.

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And even when Henry Cowans restored Telford’s two-goal advantage, Dyche looped aheader home to ensure hosts could not rest easy.

Lakeland said: “I felt we were the better team, I really did.

“I’m disappointed with the goals conceded, although it’s always difficult to come from behind against teams that have pace on the break.

“I’m so proud of how we played, to say that they’re in the play-offs in the league above, having only lost one home game, I felt we gave an unbelievable account of ourselves.”

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Subsitute Jonathan Edwards was FC Halifax Town’s hero as he bagged their first-round winner at National League rivals Barrow – just five minutes after coming on.

Earlier, Matthew Brown had given Town a 39th-minute lead, which they held until the 80th minute, when Brown put through his own goal.

Three minutes later, Edwards replaced Mekhi Leacock-Mcleod and that proved an inspired switch by Halifax manager Jamie Fullarton.

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Ross Hardaker was Ossett United’s hero as he rescued a point for his side with a 90th-minute equaliser in a 1-1 draw at Cleethorpes Town.

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The hosts had taken a 28th-minute lead through Brody Robertson and held it until Hardaker’s late effort which lifts United a place in the table to ninth. Frickley Athletic climbed up to 12th thanks to a 1-0 win at Marske United, with Jacob Hazel’s 56th-minute effort proving the difference between the two sides.

Tadcaster Albion’s Yorkshire derby with Sheffield FC was abandoned after just 15 minutes, with hosts the Brewers leading 1-0. Harry Coates had given Tad’ a third-minute lead but moments after several of the floodlights went out, with the players leaving the field. The lights came back on, as did the teams, but when they went off again shortly after, the players left the field and the match was abandoned by referee Akeel Ahmed.

The top-of-the-table clash between Brighouse Town and visiting Morpeth Town, plus Pontefract Collieries hosting of Pickering Town were both postponed.

In the NCE Premier Division, the big game of the day between fourth-placed hosts Hemsworth MW and Knaresborough Town, in third, went the way of the visitors, 3-2.

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Nash Connolly (5 and 68) twice gave Welfare the lead, only for Josh Garbutt (48) and Benjamin Cohen (72) to peg them back, before the latter bagged the winner with eight minutes left.

Garforth Town defeated Albion Sports 3-2, despite Alhassane Keita giving the visitors a 13th-minute lead.

Goals either side of half-time by Mark Simpson (43) and Mitchell Hamilton (47) put Town in front before Chris Fairhurst levelled on 72.

But just a minute later, Garforth’s Daniel Williams bagged the decisive goal.

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In Division 1, the top game saw third-placed Selby Town pegged back by a late equaliser for second-placed Grimsby Borough.

Borough had taken the lead right on half-time through Jack Debnam, but the Robins levelled through Fraser Hansen (65) and then went in front with Liam Flanagan’s 77th-minute effort.

But Josh Venney’s equaliser earned Grimsby a point.