Harrogate Town 2 Morecambe FC 1: Finn O'Boyle's debut goal helps Sulphurites to EFL Trophy win

The teenage midfielder became the first graduate of the club’s academy to net for the first-team, cancelling out Adam Mayor’s early opener at Wetherby Road.

And Miles Welch-Hayes then popped up at the death to earn a Town side featuring 11 changes from Saturday’s League Two success over Hartlepool a second win on the spin.

Simon Weaver’s men made almost the worst possible start to proceedings, falling behind with less than two minutes on the clock after Lewis Richards went to ground in the left-back position and Arthur Gnahoua was able to deliver a dangerous cross into the box.

George Thomson slid in at the far post to meet the ball, but his attempted clearance cannoned off O’Boyle and bounced kindly for Mayor, who was left with a simple finish.

The hosts could easily have found themselves two goals down soon afterwards as Thomson’s error inside his own half led to Kieran Phillips running clean through on goal, however his dink over the advancing Mark Oxley failed to find the target.

Gnahoua then took aim inside the Harrogate box, his powerful drive drawing a good save from Oxley at his near post.

Having been thoroughly second best throughout the opening half of the first period, Town eventually began to grow into the contest once they started passing the ball to feet.

And they levelled matters in the 28th minute after Matty Daly’s strike was blocked on the edge of the Morecambe penalty area, the ball then breaking for Tyler Frost, just to the left of the six-yard box.

He lofted a cross high into the air, and when the visiting defence failed to clear their lines, O’Boyle pounced, turning 10 yards out and forcing a low strike beyond Adam Smith.

The Sulphurites had a chance to take the lead less than 60 seconds later as Folarin was played in behind down the home right and unleashed a powerful effort which Smith had to beat away.

At the opposite end of the field, a neat bit of interplay resulted in Phillips racing through on Oxley’s goal and taking the ball around the onrushing Harrogate custodian, but Welch-Hayes was alert to the danger and slid in at the near post to prevent the Shrimps retaking the lead.

Having finished the first half in the ascendancy, Town picked up where they left off after the interval and looked very much in control of proceedings for 35 minutes.

Daly cut in off the right and saw an effort blocked before Folarin spurned a glorious chance to put his side ahead with 68 minutes on the clock.

Daly’s deflected strike from the left-hand side of the box was helped across goal and into the path of the former Middlesbrough forward by O’Boyle, however he could only scoop his finish over the cross-bar from eight yards out.

Josh Austerfield then drove deep into Morecambe territory and slipped the ball right for O’Boyle, who was denied his second of the evening by Anthony O’Connor’s perfectly-timed sliding tackle.

The visitors suddenly came back to life in the final 10 minutes and Oxley was required to come flying off his line and throw himself bravely at the feet of Phillips.

Moments later, Harrogate’s goalkeeper made another fine one-on-one stop to thwart Mayor, who then got hold of the loose ball and crossed from the left for Phillips, who nodded against the bar with the goal gaping.

Those scares survived, Town went on to snatch victory in the sixth minute of stoppage-time, Welch-Hayes meeting Richards’ inviting corner from the right and bundling the ball over the line.

Tuesday night’s win means that Weaver’s troops finish third in the Group A standings on four points and will not progress through to the competition’s knock-out stage.