HARROGATE TOWN 0 -0 DROYLSDEN

Blue Square Bet North – Tuesday 23 August 2011

Report by Gary Owen

Droylsden ground out a hard fought point in North Yorkshire on Tuesday night, and had to do so with only ten men for over an hour.

Just 21 minutes into the game, and Paul Brown saw red for an apparent kick at Laurie Wilson.

Playing down the slope in the first half, it was the hosts who registered the game’s first shot on target through Nowakowski.

After Brown’s dismissal, Ciaran Kilheeney pulled a hot wide for Droylsden when he really ought to have tested Cook in the Harrogate goal.

At the other end, Hassan broke free, but could only shoot straight at Paul Phillips, who got two good hands to the ball.

Paul Brayson then pulled a shot wide, before Hassan again threatened, and was unlucky to see his 25 yard effort crash off the bar with Phillips beaten.

However, having reached half-time and not conceded, Droylsden gave themselves a chance having the advantage of the second half slope, and moments in to the half Stephen Turnbull blocked on the line from Chris Brown to prevent Droylsden from taking the lead from a Carlos Logan corner.

Phillips again saved from Hassan, and then former Stalybridge man Lee Elam should have done better, but blasted over when well placed.

Logan was just off target with a free kick for Droylsden, and Bore’s shot was inches wide for Harrogate, as the game flowed from end to end despite Droylsden’s numerical disadvantage.

Wit six minutes remaining, there was an almighty scramble in the Droylsden box, but The Bloods threw bodies in the way and Phillips made a couple of reflex stops to deny the hosts.

Danny Rowe was then a yard over with a strike from the edge of the box, and Droylsden almost snatched the victory deep into added time from an unlikely source, when James Vaughan curled a left footed effort just wide.

The point continues Droylsden’s unbeaten start to the season, and this could prove to be a well earned point come the end of the campaign, with The Bloods’ defence performing like Trojans on the night.

TEAMS

Harrogate Town:

Cook, Wilson, Radcliffe, Nowakowski, Picton, Heckingbottom, Bore, Ross, Turnbull, Brayson, Hassan, Elam (Hardy, 81).

Subs. not used: Turl, Bloomer, Tait, Pell.

Droylsden:

Phillips, Anane (Vaughan, 73’), Logan, Brown C., Hardiker, Brown P., Gardner (Hall, 69’), Killeen, Kilheeney, Johnson (Gerrard, 61’), Rowe.

Subs. not used: Poole, Lake.

ATTENDANCE: 350

REFEREE: Mr. Graham Fyvie (Sunderland, Tyne and Wear)




Valid XHTML 1.0 Transitional Valid CSS