WEMBLEY RETURN?
Harrogate’s Jack Muldoon looks ahead to their Trophy semi-final
HISTORY-MAKER Jack Muldoon reckons it’s a ‘blessing in disguise’ that Harrogate Town lost to West Brom in the Carabao Cup in midweek – because they’re desperate for a Wembley return!
Muldoon notched the club’s first-ever League goal, and went on to bag another, as the Sulphurites romped to a stunning 4-0 League Two win at Southend last weekend.
It’s been part of an already-hectic September which has seen Simon Weaver’s side play five games – with two more still to come. Next up is arguably the biggest of the lot – the FA Trophy semi-final against Notts County which was held over from last season and will see the winners book a trip to Wembley to face Concord Rangers on Non-League
Finals Day, on a date to be confirmed.
Dilemma
If Harrogate had pulled off a shock and beaten Premier
League newcomers West Brom on Wednesday (they lost 3-0), they would have faced the prospect of two midweek matches this week and a dilemma over how best to utilise their resources.
There would have been a visit to Notts in the Trophy on Tuesday - and a home tie against Brentford in the Carabao Cup, possibly the following day!
Striker Muldoon, 31, told
The FLP: “Playing West Brom was a great day out for us and it’s a lovely ground – it beats playing away at Braintree!
“They were head and shoulders above us in terms of physical strength and speed and, in reality, it’s a blessing in disguise we lost the game.
“We are only human and you have to look after your body. We haven’t got another 11, 12 or 13 players to slot in for two midweek games. We would have had to put out 60 or 70 per cent of our full squad again and filled the gaps.
“We probably wanted to concentrate more on the Trophy than the Carabao Cup – we are only one game from Wembley.”
It’s a bizarre set of coronavirus-induced circumstances that mean Harrogate are still in the Trophy as a Football League side, but Muldoon insists there was no thought of them pulling out to concentrate on their EFL baptism.
“I still think it’s massive,” said the former Rochdale, Lincoln and AFC Fylde hitman. “It’s as big as it would have been last season. It’s another cup, it’s another title to win – and you want to win everything you play in.
“We played Hartlepool, Darlington, Eastleigh and Fylde, the latter in the worst weather I have ever come across in my life. We’ve played all these games.
“We were told by the FA that if we didn’t want to potentially play on Tuesday and Wednesday, we could forfeit the tie, but we weren’t going to roll over and let that happen. It’s a massive game.”
Massive
Having convincingly beaten Notts in the National League play-off final at Wembley at the beginning of August, Harrogate will fancy their chances behind closed doors at Meadow Lane.
And last weekend’s demolition job on Southend is another confidence-booster.
“We’ve had a great pre-season and also played the final,” said Muldoon. “Against Southend it was nine or ten lads who have played week in, week out for two seasons, so we’ve got that understanding.
“It was a great feeling to get that first goal, it settles people down. I also got our first goal in the National League, so it’s a nice double.”
After a brief taste of Football League action at Rochdale back in 2014, Muldoon is relishing every moment of his fresh opportunity.
The former plasterer said: “I’ve fought quite hard to get to this point – I didn’t get a professional contract until I was 25 and I’m reaping my rewards to a certain extent now. It’s a great feeling.
“I know what it’s like in the real world. I’m living the moment and making sure I make the most of it.”