Harrogate Town 4 Altrincham 0: Hosts make use of numerical advantage after Leeds United youngster sent off

Harrogate Town returned to winning ways as they secured an emphatic 4-0 victory over Altrincham in the National League.

Simon Weaver’s men had failed to win any of their previous three games across all competitions, but were thoroughly deserving of three points at the Marcy Fitness Stadium.

Altrincham lost on-loan Leeds United prospect Reuben Lopata-White to a red card after just 13 minutes and the numerical disadvantage helped Harrogate spend the bulk of the afternoon in the driving seat.

Will McGowan opened the scoring early in the second half and the lead was doubled by Morgan Williams just 10 minutes later. Michael Craig weighed in late on, smashing home a thunderous effort, before Rohan Vaughan weighed in to cap an excellent afternoon for the North Yorkshire outfit.

First half

There was little to warm the cockles early on, as both sides took time defrosting on a crisp and biting November afternoon. Each enjoyed spells of posession but little was done with it and wing-backs remained tethered in their own halfs.

Harrogate frontman Shawn McCoulsky prompted the first ripple of applause by getting on the wrong side of Altrincham defender Jake Cooper. While he could not test Harry Isted between the Robins sticks, he did manage to win a corner.

Lewis Cass was left in a heap on the ground in the aftermath of the resulting delivery, but calls for a penalty fell on deaf ears.

The referee did react when Lopata-White - a young defender on loan at Altrincham from Leeds - lunged recklessly at Ellis Taylor. There was barely any hesitation from the official, who was quick to produce a red card.

Altrincham retreated deeper after going a man down and Harrogate seized the initiative, taking control of the affair. Clear-cut chances were initially at a premium but Lewis Cass came within a whisker of getting a boot on the end of an inviting Taylor cross from the left.

Little was being created for McCoulsky, although the forward did direct a header towards goal after rising to meet a Williams free-kick. Unfortunately for the hosts, it lacked power and was held with ease by Isted.

Taylor was proving increasingly problematic for the visitors, who struggled to stem the flow of attacks down the left flank as the first half progressed. He cut in side from the wing and forced Isted down to his right-hand side with a low drive to the near post.

Barely a minute later he reverted to being a provider and picked out Josh Hmami with a clever pass. The playmaker sent a low shot towards goal and saw it deflected just before it could test Isted.

Harrogate continued applying pressure into the dying embers of the first half and their final chance fell to Grant Horton, who met a delivery hung up at the back post but could only head into the side-netting.

Second half

A slick corner routine straight from the training ground opened Altrincham up within minutes of the restart but as stars aligned for McGowan, he lost his footing.

Craig had more luck when he pulled the trigger from distance, stinging the palms of Isted with a well-struck effort. Archie Baptistie followed suit with a long-range effort of his own, yet Isted was also equal to that.

Altrincham’s resolve was eventually cracked by McGowan, who swept home a left-footed shot after Taylor picked him out from the left.

Harrogate’s opener did not appear to have whet their appetite for goals, as the Sulphurites remained in the ascendency. McGowan jinked into space inside the box after being fed by Hmami, but was leaning back as he curled towards the top corner and found the wrong side of the crossbar.

Taylor, meanwhile, was evidently enjoying himself down the left-hand side. The former England youth international danced his way in from the left and saw a thunderous effort flash just over.

Altrincham had been offering little sign of life, yet Lucas Weaver had hearts in mouths when he drew an excellent save from Luke Hutchinson on the counter-attack. However, it was not to be the beginning of a Robins revival.

Williams sent a rasping shot in from distance and Isted was rendered helpless as it flew beyond him, doubling the home lead.

The frequency of attacks slowed somewhat in the closing stages of the first half but Harrogate’s grip on the game never loosened.

Altrincham simply could not move from first gear and eventually conceded a third when Craig hammered home the final goal of the afternoon.

Goal number four arrived in stoppage time, when substitute Vaughan rifled home a shot Isted was never going to get near.