Bridlington
Town 0-3 Harrogate
Railway
Unibond league Division One North
The end of the season cannot come soon enough for a weary
Seasiders’ outfit who have now shipped twelve goals in their last three games
and scored none. Shorn of the midfield
influence of Wayne Harratt and Neil Grayston through injury, all of Town’s
frailties seen throughout this campaign surfaced in a depressing 90 minutes at
Queensgate against an under-strength opposition that should have been easily
taken care of, but in the end was far too good for a side that on recent
showings may well benefit from a return to NCEL football. With a mere 96 paying their hard-earned to
watch on the night, it was the first time this season Town’s league gate had
dipped below 100, a tribute to the loyalty and patience shown by the Queensgate
faithful, who again ignored the televised talents of Rooney and Ronaldo to
support their side on a blustery evening.
The game took on a familiar pattern in the opening stages,
with Town dominating possession, yet unable to pick a way past the experienced
Tom Morgan in the Railway goal. Town
were utilising the pace of Alex Rhodes on the right flank to good effect and
twice in quick succession he left the Rail defence in his wake but the
visitors’ skipper Rob Morgan was commanding in the six yard box and again the
ball was cleared. Phil Harrison linked
well with James McGarry to send Dave Gowans into the box, but the striker sent
his shot wide. All of the early promise
however was blown away by Rail’s first real effort on goal in the 34th
minute. Paul Scott picked up a loose
ball some 25 yards out onm the angle of the penalty box, and fired in a
speculative shot that caught the wind and flew over Town’ keeper Chris Hill
into the far corner. It was an effort that
could just as well have ended up in Dukes
Park but the outcome
summed up Town’s last six months in an instant.
The rest of the game was fairly much a non-event, with Town
instantly retreating into their shell, and seemingly nervous to commit numbers
forward lest they may be caught on the break.
The half-time interval failed to spark the Seasiders, and Rail sensed
the game was there for the taking.
Town’s only possible matchwinner, Rhodes, was left all too isolated out
on the right, with little or no service to speak of, and it came as no surprise
when Rail effectively won the game with their second through Ben Jones on 55
minutes. McGarry struck the foot of
Morgan’s post with a rare effort on the hour, but any further goals were only
going to come from one side, and Carl Fox duly obliged with Rail’s third on 78
minutes as once again the Town defence evaporated. Town must now somehow pick themselves up for
Saturday’s game at Queensgate against play-off hopefuls Ossett Albion, and hope
once again that other results continue to go their way at the foot of the
league, with both Woodley Sports and Radcliffe Borough also losing crucial
games at the same time on Tuesday.
Town:- Hill, Moulds,
Smith, Giblin, Dexter, Fleming, Rhodes, Dixey,
McGarry, Gowans, Harrison.
Subs:- Bunn (Moulds
66); Frampton (84), Webb (McGarry 84)
