GATE BOSS RAPT WITH TAMING OF THE TIGERS
Simon Weaver hailed Harrogate Town’s performance as one of the best of the season as he watched his side defeat Gloucester City 3-1 at The CNG Stadium.
JP Pittman put the hosts ahead after 25 minutes, getting the final touch after captain Danny Ellis had headed Andi Thanoj’s corner past Jasbir Singh.
Thanoj then struck a sweet free-kick on the stroke of halftime to put Town two goals up after Wayne Brooksby had been brought down on the edge of the area.
Edward Williams handed Tim Harris’ men a lifeline after 66 minutes, glancing Joe Hanks’ free-kick into the back of the net, but Town restored their two-goal lead within four minutes as Dominic Knowles wrapped up the points.
The Harrogate manager told The NLP: “It was up there with one of our best performances of the season.
“The application of the lads was bang on from the first whistle, we took the game to Gloucester and caused them a lot of problems.
“We are putting in a lot of hard work in training and I would like to think the hours are paying off, both in fitness and in organisation.
“When you are 2-0 down at half-time you have to go for it and credit to Gloucester, they had that mentality coming out after the break.
“They had their fair share of possession and we were debating sticking one more in midfield but we were reluctant to do that because our front two caused so much damage.”
Gloucester boss Harris handed a first start to Spanish striker Antonio Alcaraz, while Tom Owen-Evans made his club debut.
The first chance of the afternoon fell to Pittman, who stole possession from Gloucester’s centre-half with a sliding challenge, but sent his finish over the bar.
After a quiet opening 25 minutes, Town opened the scoring when Ellis climbed highest at the far post and headed Thanoj’s corner into the back of the net, via a Pittman touch.
Thanoj doubled the hosts’ lead on the stroke of half-time after Brooksby was felled, spectacularly curling the free- kick into the top-left corner.
Gloucester started the second half well and were denied a route back into the tie by Peter Crook’s fingertips as the Town stopper tipped Tom Webb’s strike onto the bar and behind. But they did claim the next goal when Williams glanced Hanks’ freekick into the bottom corner after 66 minutes.
Town took four minutes to restore the two-goal advantage as Knowles latched on to Pittman’s flick-on and lifted the ball over the onrushing keeper to secure all three points.