26-07-08: Harrogate Town (a) 0-3 (HT 0-1) Crowd (?)

Harrogate Town secured a 3-0 home win against Leeds United Reserves, when a twelfth-minute goal from Darren Dunning and second-half double from Richard Marshall helped them defeat a Leeds United squad for the first time in their history. Darren Dunning looked eager to impress from the start and in the second minute he cut in from the left to strike a fierce shot wide of Leeds 'keeper Jonathan Lund's post. It was he who opened the scoring ten minutes later when he fired into the roof of the net after good work from strikers Danny Holland and Jamie Smith on the right flank had left him unmarked at the far post. Jim Provett had to be alert in goal for the home side, saving well at the feet of Trevor Kandol and moments later diving to his right to deny Tom Elliott. Leeds had a period of dominance and Tresor Kandol tested Provett again from the edge of the eighteen-yard box and Oliver Hotchkiss got in a dipping shot that was only slightly over the crossbar after fifteen minutes. Liam Darville replaced Aidan White for the visitors after twenty-nine minutes. For the home side Ryan Toulson raided well down the right wing, linking up well with Danny Holland, and Justin Whittle and Nathan Peat shone in defence. Aaron Hardy played a glorious cross-field pass to Ryan Toulson in a move than ended with Danny Holland shooting straight at Leeds keeper Jonathan Lund. The home side could have gone 2-0 ahead when Matty Young brought the ball down well in the box after thirty-nine minutes when played in by Darren Dunning. Holland then had another half chance one minute later but headed wide of the left hand post. At half-time Chris Ovington replaced Tresor Kandol for Leeds and Danny Lowe and Michael Roddy came on for Matty Young and Joey Hutchinson for the home side, but even though Leeds commanded midfield, Darren Dunning nearly doubled his tally with an eighteen-yard curling shot that hit the woodwork. There was a minor scuffle in the Town penalty box on fifty-five minutes after Leeds substitute Chris Ovington felt he was unfairly brought down, but the incident affected the visitors more than the hosts. In the sixty-first minute Richard Marshall came on for Jamie Smith and Liam Ormsby replaced Denny Ingram and two minutes later Leeds also made two changes when Josh Falkingham replaced Curtis Weston and Jonathan Webb came on for Sebastien Carole. It was Richard Marshall who netted his first goal for his new club in the seventy-first minute minutes when he got in a well-hit twenty-yard shot that surprised everyone and crept into the bottom left corner of the net. He then put the game out of reach less than two minutes later, latching on to Darren Dunning's lob to tap the ball home from close range. Leeds rarely threatened in the remaining fifteen minutes. Indeed Richard Marshall almost had his hat-trick ten minutes from time when he broke into the Leeds United half after a Leeds corner had been cleared and out-muscled Sebastien Sorsa before watching his shot trickle agonisingly wide of Lund's right post. At that point Harrogate sent on Nathan James for Danny Holland and four minutes later Scott McGrory replaced Nathan Peat, but the game was well and truly over as a contest.

Teamsheet: Courtesy Mark Ledgard