Harrogate Town fail to end season with hat-trick

Simon Weaver said his side’s lack of cutting edge cost them as they signed off for 2021/22 with a 2-0 home defeat to Sutton United.

The Sulphurites were aiming to end their second season as a Football League club with a flourish and make it three wins on the spin, but lost what was an action-packed encounter to goals in each half by Craig Eastmond and Isaac Olaofe.

And, while the U’s certainly could have scored more than twice themselves, the home side had plenty of clear-cut chances of their own, twice hitting the woodwork at 1-0 when they seemed destined to equalise and drawing a number of good saves out of Dean Bouzanis.

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“We missed some gilt-edged opportunities, didn’t we?” Weaver reflected.

Harrogate Town manager Simon Weaver. Picture Bruce RollinsonHarrogate Town manager Simon Weaver. Picture Bruce Rollinson
Harrogate Town manager Simon Weaver. Picture Bruce Rollinson

“We did enough to score goals today, but probably didn’t do enough to keep the back door shut. So, inevitably, when you don’t take your chances, you leave yourself open to losing an end-to-end contest like this.

“We caused them problems when we passed the ball. That was the game-plan, we have just got to get better at it.

“I’m disappointed overall because I really wanted to finish the season with three wins on the bounce after two extremely positive results against Carlisle and Forest Green. When all is said and done, no matter what plaudits we get for playing well in an exciting match and creating lots of chances, at the end of the day we’ve lost the game and it still hurts.”

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Harrogate Town: Cracknell; Thomson, McArdle, Burrell, Sheron; Austerfield, Kerry (Power 65, Martin 81), Pattison; Muldoon (Kavanagh 73), Armstrong, Diamond. Unused substitutes: Giles, Beck, Legge.

Sutton United: Bouzanis; Kizzi, Goodliffe, John, Milsom; Ajiboye (Wilson 75), Eastmond, Smith, Randall (Boldewijn 11); Bugiel, Olaofe. Unused substitutes: Nelson, Barden, Rowe, Beautyman, Bennett.

Referee: O Langford (West Midlands).

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