JACK’S THE LAD IN TOWN ROUT
HARROGATE TOWN continued their excellent start to the season into September as a brace apiece from Jack Muldoon and Mark Beck put Eastleigh to the sword.
Liam Agnew, deputising for injured captain Josh Falkingham, created Town’s opener; closing down the opposition defence before rounding the keeper and seeing the loose ball fall to Muldoon with an open goal to aim at.
Town’s number 18 made it two seconds after the restart, racing through and poking past Graham Stack before substitute Mark Beck twice added to the scoreline in the final ten minutes.
The result puts unbeaten Town behind only Wrexham in the National League table, leaving assistant manager Paul Thirlwell delighted at his side’s start to the season.
He said: “I thought in the first half we weren’t at our best, but were really solid and put in a good professional performance, then second half I felt we ran out worthy winners.
“We are playing well at the minute and are doing all the right things, every game at this level is a difficult one but it really seems to be clicking for us.”
Eastleigh had the first attempt of the game with Danny Holland blazing over from long range, though the visitors soon had to make a number of blocks to deny strikes from Dom Knowles and Lloyd Kerry reaching the goal.
Paul McCallum also went close with a header, but it was soon 2-0 as Muldoon found himself in on goal and confidently poked his second of the afternoon past Stack.
The visitors were still in the game at this point, but couldn’t find a way past James Belshaw as the Town stopper again denied Mark Yeates, this time after a quick counter attack.
With ten minutes to play, Town’s third goal arrived in the form of substitute Beck who beat the offside trap to collect Joe Leesley’s through ball and finish well.
There was still time for Beck to claim another as the striker guided George Thomson’s cross into the corner with his head and ensure Town ended the day in second place.
Eastleigh boss Andy Hessenthaler was left to rue his side’s mistakes after what had been a promising opening 45 minutes.
He said: “In the first half I thought we were the better team without having that final bit of quality, then we gave them a silly goal.
“I want us to play football but at times we have got to be careful where we play and it was a sloppy goal, a real kick in the teeth.
“We started the second half poorly and in the end the injuries have hindered us and made it a lot easier for them to win comfortably.”