Last eight berth
UNSTOPPABLE County tore National League promotion-chasers Harrogate Town apart on Saturday, advancing to the quarter-finals of the FA Trophy with a 4-2 win at Wetherby Road.
Despite falling behind to an unfortunate early Jordan Keane own goal, Jim Gannon’s men stretched their scintillating winning streak to ten games in all competitions with a clinical counterattacking display in Yorkshire.
Winger Adam Thomas celebrated his 24th birthday by drilling home a well-worked equaliser just minutes after Keane’s misfortune, before striker Frank Mulhern put County into a first-half lead just ninety seconds later.
Leading marksman Matty Warburton got in on the act just after the break, before Mulhern capped the win with his 15th goal of an impressive debut season at Edgeley Park.
Gannon’s men advanced to set up a quarter-final tie with either Salford City or Maidstone Utd at Edgeley Park, with the all-National League third round replay being contested on Tuesday as the Express went to print.
Gannon explained afterwards that the decision to stick with his winning side was a tough one, given the tolls which a tough National League North campaign has taken on his players – but the Irishman opted for just one enforced change, with young Fleetwood loanee Lewis Baines replacing the recentlydeparted Jamie Stott, who had returned to parent club Oldham Athletic after an excellent loan spell with The Hatters. The hosts boast a record of being the National League’s highest scorers, and looked to catch County cold early on with a flurry of attacks.
But, despite a lively opening at both ends of the pitch, it was the luckless Keane who bundled into his own net to produce the first goal of the afternoon after a quarter of an hour - with the inform midfielder left facing his own goal from a swift Harrogate break, and bundling past a helpless Ben Hinchliffe in goal.
Gannon has repeatedly referenced the confidence of his players in the midst of their best winning run in just over ten years, and that confidence came to the fore again just moments later.
Darren Stephenson did well to carve out an opening for fellow winger Thomas, who found himself running away from goal only to send a superb low effort nestling into the far corner of James Belshaw’s goal.
And a manic ninety seconds later, the visitors were ahead.
Harrogate’s kick-off was duly returned upfield by The Hatters, with both Town defenders leaving the ball for each other only for the alert Mulhern to race through and roll underneath a stunned Belshaw.
Much of the remainder of the half was played in midfield, with both highflying sides cancelling each other out in the centre of the park - but Gannon’s side had Hinchliffe to thank for preserving their slender lead on the stroke of the interval.
Sam Walker’s pass was played in between new defensive partners Ash Palmer and Lewis Baines, and midfielder George Thomson ran onto the loose ball with a rasping effort which Hinchliffe palmed away. And, with just three minutes of the new half played, Warburton intercepted another defensive error, this time in the form of a poor backpass by makeshift leftback Warren Burrell, before rounding Belshaw and sliding home for his 22nd goal of the campaign.
Minihan and Warburton fired efforts beyond the home crossbar, as County continued to press – and Warburton also saw