Harrogate Town 0 Tranmere Rovers 1: Simon Weaver rues 'terrible' second-half display

Simon Weaver's men probably shaded the first half, but, missing suspended captain Josh Falkingham to drive them on, they looked a shadow of their usual selves during the second.

There was a severe lack of intensity and tempo about the Sulphurites' play after the break and they never really looked like scoring until deep into stoppage-time, by which point they already found themselves trailing to managerless opposition, who had lost four of their previous five games.

Post-match, Weaver was left to reflect on what he felt was a "terrible" second 45.

“It's frustrating because we went in at half-time knowing that we had been the dominant force," he said.

“We were in the ascendancy and played some fantastic football. The second half was the polar opposite and they [Tranmere] eventually ran out deserved winners.

"It’s becoming a recurring theme, we're coming in having dominated a game but with nothing to show for it. Unfortunately, in the box itself we are not showing enough edge. We’ve been blunt in front of goal.

"I’m disappointed for the fans because we were terrible in the second half, but it’s our first season in the EFL and we can’t get too down.

"We were shocking in the second half yet could still have equalised. We haven’t been whacked off the park."

Harrogate began slowly but enjoyed plenty of possession as the first half wore on without really causing the visiting defence too many problems.

George Thomson's in-swinging left-wing corner looked to be heading in at the near post until James Vaughan intervened with a timely header, though that was about as close as the home side would come to a first-half breakthrough.

A sliding Brendan Kiernan just failed to get on the end of Warren Burrell's inviting low centre from the right on 42 minutes, then Tranmere were unable to capitalise on an even clearer opening at the other end of the field.

Kiernan made a challenge in midfield and inadvertently diverted the ball into the path of Vaughan, loitering behind the home back-four and all of a sudden presented with a clear run in on James Belshaw's goal.

The former Everton striker ignored team-mate Paul Lewis, who would have had an open goal to shoot into had he received the ball, and curled an effort against the upright, the rebound somehow evading Lewis.

The second period began with Tranmere very much in the ascendancy, Corey Blackett-Taylor raiding down the left and finding Liam Feeney, who forced Belshaw to save with his feet at his near post.

A superb last-ditch block by Kiernan then prevented Feeney from crashing home the game's opening goal as the visitors continued to open Harrogate up at will.

Town seemed to have weathered the storm somewhat, and eventually began to see a little bit of the ball, only to eventually fall behind to substitute Otis Khan's close-range effort - a goal which Rovers' second-half display undoubtedly warranted.

Things went from bad to worse for Weaver's men when Will Smith landed awkwardly following an aerial challenge and had to be stretchered off after a prolonged spell of treatment.

Twelve minutes of stoppage-time followed as a result, and Harrogate did eventually managed to carve out a chance to grab what would have been an undeserved equaliser.

Dan Jones' deep cross from the left was flapped at by Scott Davies and landed perfectly for Tom Walker, however the substitute somehow managed to pass the ball straight back into the grateful arms of the visiting custodian, rather than firing into the gaping net.

Defeat means that Town have taken just one point from the last possible 12 on offer and leaves them 14th in the table.

Harrogate: Belshaw; Burrell, Smith (Lokko 90), Hall, Jones; Thomson, Kirby, Kerry, Kiernan (Walker 70); Muldoon, Martin (Stead 76). Unused substitutes: Cracknell, Emmett, Beck.

Tranmere: Davies; O’Connor, Clarke, Monthe, Ridehalgh; Lewis, Spearing, Morris (Khan 75); Feeney, Vaughan, Blackett-Taylor (Woolery 75). Unused substitutes: Murphy, Nelson, MacDonald, Banks, Smith.

Referee: R Joyce.