Fleetwood Town 3 Harrogate Town 2: Sulphurites are their 'own worst enemy'

That was Simon Weaver’s assessment after his Harrogate Town side somehow found a way to lose a game they should have won comfortably at Fleetwood on Saturday afternoon.

The Sulphurites were well on top for most of the first half and once again at the start of the second, twice taking the lead at Highbury Stadium through Warren Burrell and Jack Muldoon’s fourth goal in five matches.

But, just as was the case against Crewe last time out, the Wetherby Road again outfit let themselves down in and around their own box as another early advantage was tossed away.

And, although thrilled with Town’s attacking play, Weaver was left hugely disappointed by their sloppiness at the other end of the pitch following what can only be described as a sickening 3-2 defeat.

"We dominated the game,” he said. “We came in at half-time having had 70 percent possession as the away team and should have been three or four up.

“We should have scored more, but, we have still scored two goals overall, and that should have been enough to come away as winners. However, we have been sloppy as a defensive unit and it has cost us dearly.

"It’s immensely frustrating. We have lost two on the bounce now from defensive slips. We seem to be our own worst enemy when we are on top.

“We were vulnerable because we had three moments of madness. They were slip-ups through a lack of communication, a lack of ‘what-if?’ mentality. And we have made a complete hash of it for the final goal.

"It’s individual moments. We were under no real stress as a defensive unit, but we have still come unstuck.”

Following a bright start to proceedings, Town took the lead on 16 minutes when skipper Burrell met Reece Smith’s low, right-wing cross on the edge of the six-yard-box and steered a first-time finish inside the far post.

With the visitors very much on top, they should have added to their tally through Conor McAleny, who failed to beat Jay Lynch having been played through on goal by Stephen Duke-McKenna’s clever pass.

Muldoon then cleared the cross-bar from close range before Smith was also denied by Lynch, and Harrogate were inevitably punished for their wastefulness as Fleetwood equalised just after the half-hour.

Elliot Bonds helped the ball over the top of the Town back-line, and after Will Davies ran away from Anthony O’Connor, goalkeeper James Belshaw appeared to hesitate as he came off his line, allowing the home striker to get to the ball ahead of him and poke it through his legs for 1-1.

The Sulphurites got themselves back on the front foot after half-time and deservedly retook the lead on 56 minutes.

Duke-McKenna whipped a dangerous delivery into the penalty area from the right flank, and although Ben Fox initially miscontrolled the ball, it broke kindly for Muldoon to finish just six yards out.

But, having got their noses back in front, Town began to run out of steam, and with their hosts having made changes from the bench to inject some life into proceedings, the momentum began to shift.

And the Cod Army drew level for a second time after the visiting defence failed to clear their lines following Kayden Hughes’ cross from the left, meaning that Bonds was able to hook a first-time shot beyond Belshaw as the ball dropped out of the sky.

If the defending for Fleetwood’s equaliser left something to be desired, what unfolded as Pete Wild’s men were gifted a third goal was simply shambolic.

Belshaw initially sliced a clearance into midfield, but there should have been no danger to his goal after Denver Hume headed the ball aimlessly back into the Harrogate box.

Burrell and O’Connor allowed the ball to bounce as they waited for Belshaw to come off his line and gather, but with the Town goalkeeper again slow to react, Ched Evans was able to nip in and square a pass for Ryan Graydon to slot a finish into the gaping net.

Saturday’s loss leaves the Sulphurites with a total of 14 points from 12 matches and sees them drop one place to 17th in the League Two standings.