Harrogate Town 1 Swindon Town 4: Struggling Sulphurites humbled by the Robins

Injury-hit Harrogate Town endured yet another afternoon to forget as they went down 4-1 at home to Swindon.
Mark Beck climbs highest to win a header during Harrogate Town's 4-1 home defeat to Swindon Town. Picture: Matt KirkhamMark Beck climbs highest to win a header during Harrogate Town's 4-1 home defeat to Swindon Town. Picture: Matt Kirkham
Mark Beck climbs highest to win a header during Harrogate Town's 4-1 home defeat to Swindon Town. Picture: Matt Kirkham

The Sulphurites were completely outclassed by their promotion-chasing visitors and could have had absolutely no complaints had they lost Good Friday's League Two clash by a greater margin.

And although they were without the services of seven players, the body language and performances of the majority of those who did take the field in yellow and black left plenty to be desired.

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They looked disinterested and off-the-pace from the first whistle, with Swindon afforded time and space to move the ball around at their leisure.

A couple of dangerous early deliveries into the home box were cleared by Harrogate defenders in the nick of time, though a Robins goal seemed inevitable.

It almost materialised on 13 minutes when Jack Payne cut inside onto his left foot and let fly with a low strike which was deflected past the despairing dive of Joe Cracknell, but thudded against the base of the post.

Swindon didn’t have to wait too much longer to get their noses in front, however, profiting from a sequence of unforced errors by the hosts.

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Nathan Sheron’s poor back-pass left Cracknell unable to do anything other than shank his clearance out for a throw-in and the ball was eventually recycled for Mandela Egbo, who crossed from the left for the unmarked Louie Barry to head home at the far post.

Luke Armstrong’s well-struck effort from 20 yards did force Jojo Wollacott into his first meaningful save of the afternoon shortly afterwards, but the away lead was doubled on the half-hour-mark.

One long pass out from the back somehow dissected Town’s midfield and back-four leaving Egbo to run clear down the left and pick out Barry for another opportunity he couldn’t miss at the back stick.

Things almost got worse on 37 minutes when the unconvincing Cracknell saw an attempted clearance charged down by Davison. Fortunately for the Sulphurites, the rebound spun away from goal rather than towards the unguarded net.

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Barry could have completed his hat-trick 60 seconds later, though he failed to get the better of Cracknell one-on-one having beaten the offside trap.

Davison then missed a sitter from close range as Sheron and Warren Burrell switched off inside the Town penalty area, but only had to wait until the fifth minute of the second period to get his name on the score-sheet.

Ryan Fallowfield lost his footing as Swindon counter-attacked down the middle of the pitch, leaving the Robins with a three-on-one overload and Ellis Iandolo was able to slip the on-loan Charlton Athletic frontman in for another routine finish.

Fallowfield had to be stretchered off as a result of the injury he sustained and what was already a horrible afternoon then got even worse for Town on 63 minutes when Davison was played in behind and calmly slotted beyond the exposed Cracknell for 4-0.

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With the game long-since over as a contest, George Thomson at least mustered a shot in anger, clearing the cross-bar with a venomous effort from outside the box.

It was however Swindon who continued to look the more likely, Barry forcing Cracknell to save with his foot before Iandolo curled a delicious effort against the cross-bar.

There was eventually a moment for the home faithful to enjoy amidst the gloom of a third straight home defeat as Harrogate grabbed a consolation goal in the fourth minute of stoppage-time.

Simon Power, who impressed down the right wing as a second-half substitute, plucked the ball out of the sky and unleashed a swerving effort which Wollacott did well to push away, but Armstrong was on hand to side-foot into the gaping net.

Friday’s loss was Town’s seventh in nine matches and drops them down to 18th in the table, though they remain 10 points clear of the drop zone with just four matches remaining this term.