Harrogate Town v Hartlepool United: First goal will be key in crunch clash

A Luke Armstrong goal was not sufficient to save Harrogate Town from defeat the last time Hartlepool United visited Wetherby Road. Picture: Matt Kirkham

Naturally significant in any game, who draws first blood in what is really a ‘must-win’ for the Sulphurites will likely prove to be a decisive factor at Wetherby Road.

So far this season, Simon Weaver’s team have lost every single one of the eight League Two matches in which they have fallen behind.

Indeed, Town have finished up empty-handed in 10 of their 11 fixtures in all competitions this term having conceded first, the only exception being when Danny Grant’s late strike earned them a 1-1 draw with Everton Under-21s in the EFL Trophy – however they would still go on to lose the ensuing penalty shoot-out.

On two other occasions - away at Sutton United and at home to Bradford City - they recovered from an early setback to draw level, but other than that Harrogate have been unable to get themselves back into any of these contests.

The data pool is far smaller when it comes to what happens when the Sulphurites’ class of 2022/23 get their noses in front, but, as bad as they fare when they fall behind (no wins in 11 attempts) they are two from two from the matches they have struck first in, at home to Swindon (3-0) and away at Gillingham (2-0).

The last time Harrogate hosted Hartlepool, on March 5 this year, the first goal of the game proved to be of no significance whatsoever as United recovered from going 1-0 down to Luke Armstrong’s 21st-minute opener and went on to triumph 2-1 courtesy of strikes by Luke James and David Ferguson.

Similarly in last season’s away fixture, Town raced into a 2-0 lead at the Victoria Ground, but then conspired to ship three goals in the space of eight second-half minutes and ended up empty-handed.

The most recent occasion the sides went head-to-head was at the end of August when Pools triumphed 2-0 in an EFL Trophy tie, Michael Ndjoli bagging a first-half brace.

Harrogate head into Saturday’s fixture (12.30pm) 22nd in the table, winless in 10 matches and having taken just one point from the last 24 on offer. Hartlepool are only one place better off, but have been beaten just once in four league outings since Keith Curle’s appointment in mid-September.