Harrogate Town 0 Tranmere Rovers 2: More misery for the Sulphurites as horrific run continues into the New Year

The division’s basement side are now winless in 14 matches following New Year’s Day’s 2-0 home reverse at the hands of Tranmere Rovers.

On an abysmal run of form which had seen them take just three points from the previous 39 on offer, the Sulphurites desperately needed the turning of the year to provide them with a psychological reset.

But, it was very much a case of the same old story as Simon Weaver’s men failed to find the net at home for the sixth consecutive league match on their way to what was a seventh straight home loss.

Goalless anywhere in their previous four games, the only minor positive is that results elsewhere mean that the North Yorkshire outfit somehow find themselves just the two points from safety despite this horrific sequence of recent results.

Town’s first-half showing was actually as good as anything that they have produced in some time, though they were again unable to find a way through the opposition defence despite all their positive work.

The hosts enjoyed 55 percent of possession during the opening period and created a number of decent opportunities without quite managing to forge a clear-cut chance.

The first of their openings came when Mason Bennett failed make clean contact with Warren Burrell’s excellent early cross from wide on the right.

Tranmere then spurned a better opportunity as Nathan Smith nodded Kristian Dennis’ inviting centre the wrong side of the upright.

An encouraging little spell of Harrogate pressure then saw them ask plenty of questions of the visiting defence, with Bryn Morris drawing an awkward diving stop from Jack Barrett with a blast from distance.

Rovers did however appear to have broken the deadlock against the run of play when Jordan Turnbull netted from close range, though he was adjudged to have strayed offside in the process.

Town kept coming, and Bennett’s fine flick-on from James Belshaw’s long punt released Jack Muldoon in behind and forced Barrett into an important one-on-one save from a tight angle which always favoured the Tranmere custodian.

At the other end, visiting captain Richie Smallwood sliced narrowly wide from 20 yards out as half-time arrived with the contest still goalless.

The second period began with Rovers in the ascendancy, and Belshaw was immediately required to make a smart reaction stop to deny Nathan Smith at point-blank range.

The Sulphurites were struggling to find any kind of fluency in possession, but were at least boosted by the arrival of fit-again George Thomson from the substitutes’ bench for his first appearance in almost 17 months.

It took until the 67th minute for Town to engineer anything resembling a decent sight of goal, and when things opened up for Reece Smith on the edge of the box, he dragged a poor shot well wide of the target.

A glorious chance then presented itself on 71 minutes after Reece Smith crossed from the left and picked out Zico Asare at the far post.

The Harrogate substitute managed to help the ball to the unmarked Muldoon just seven yards out, however he made a mess of the finish and shanked an awkward effort the wrong side of the upright.

And the hosts were immediately punished for that miss as Tranmere went straight down the other end of the field and snatched the lead.

Morris carelessly gave the ball away in midfield and there was a huge hole for substitute defender Cameron Norman to drive forwards into before lashing a fine 25-yarder beyond Belshaw.

Town’s response to falling behind was at least positive and they did exert some pressure before Morris sent a sweetly-struck daisy-cutter just wide from outside the penalty area.

But that was as close as Weaver’s men would come, and it was the team from Merseyside who went on to finish the stronger.

Billy Blacker saw a shot cleared off the line by Anthony O’Connor before Norman extinguished any hopes of a comeback on 92 minutes when he smashed home an unstoppable 20-yard free-kick

Shawn McCoulsky bent a strike wide as Town tried to muster a reaction, though Rovers very nearly added a third in the last seconds of stoppage time through Josh Davison, who beat Belshaw but saw his effort bounce back off the inside of the post.