U14s York 5-4 Harrogate

Harrogate arrived at York on the back of a great victory against Nottingham in the league. Nottingham had not been beaten for two seasons in the league so when the Harrogate side went one up inside five minutes from a break down the York left they must have thought that their winning run was going to continue.

Before York could get a foot hold in the game Harrogate had a second goal on fifteen minutes. York keeper Edgar with no chance from a shot from edge of the box that found the top corner 0-2.

The home side looked a little shell shocked with the score line because the game had been even till this point, when a third went in a couple of minutes later there was a level of disbelief in the York defence of Roughly, Hudson and Pearson 0-3.

To York’s credit they kept trying to make chances and from a through ball from Bell, Will Hollings broke the offside line but was brought down before he could get a shot away, two defenders sliding in from both sides to bring him down.

Hollings took the penalty himself putting a bit of respectability back into the score line.1-3.

The game was now wide open with both teams trying to get the upper hand, from a carbon copy move from York, again this time a through ball from Hollings, put Lewis Humphreys in on goal, he shot early from the edge of the box coolly finishing in style 2-3.

With only five minutes left of the half and the home side looking as though they had weathered the Harrogate storm the away side again increased their lead from a York corner, Harrogate broke two passes, later the away side were inside the York box finishing with a near post shot to go 2-4 up at half time.

With the second half under way York’s midfield of Tingle, Kilvington and Cowl were working tirelessly to keep the home side in the game.  From a Kilvington freekick Hollings got his second goal of the game, the belief that they could get something from the game was back.

George Turbine was having a fine game at left back always looking to overlap Bell down the York left causing problems for the away side.  Harrison Nicolls was brought down on the edge of the Harrogate box from the free kick, the ball was cleared to the edge of the box where Taylor Bell hit a first time shot that found its way into the roof of the Harrogate net 4-4.

York now were the dominant team Harrogate looking a little shell shocked by the home sides resilience and determination to get something from the game.

With ten minutes left York finally got their noses in front when Bell shot from the edge of the box in a copy of his first attempt, a shot from the edge of the box that left the away sides keeper looking on in disbelief as the shot found the roof of the goal 5-4.

Harrogate to their credit came out fighting in the remaining minutes getting a free kick on the edge of the York goal area the free kick was put wide and York held out for the last few minutes 5-4.