Morecambe FC 1 Harrogate Town 2: Sulphurites sign off for 2024/25 with long-overdue away win
Harrogate Town registered a first away win in 10 attempts as they rounded off 2024/25 with a 2-1 victory on the road at Morecambe.
Bryant Bilongo and Josh March struck in the first half as the Sulphurites recovered from falling behind to secure a result which saw them avoid their lowest-ever Football League finish.
Three points from Saturday’s trip to the already-relegated Shrimps proved sufficient to elevate Simon Weaver’s injury-ravaged team to 18th place in the League Two standings, where they end the campaign 11 points clear of the drop zone.
Town did however concede first, in the 12th minute, when Max Taylor met Adam Lewis’ right-wing corner at the near post and glanced a header beyond Mark Oxley, who was making his first league appearance since the opening day.
But the visitors pulled level within seven minutes. Ellis Taylor’s corner from the left was guided onto the upright by Anthony O’Connor and scrambled away by the home defence before the ball could creep over the goal-line.
It was however only cleared as far as Bryn Morris, whose deflected, long-range strike was headed, rather fortuitously, by Tom Cursons into the path of Bilongo, who blasted the ball past Ryan Schofield from seven yards out.
Just three minutes later, the Sulphurites snatched the lead. Taylor cut inside off the right and forced a good diving save from Schofield, though March was able to control the loose ball on the corner of the six-yard box and fire home.
Jamie Stott came close to equalising for Morecambe just before the interval, drawing a fine reaction save from Oxley.
The second period saw the home side look the more likely, Hallam Hope forcing Oxley into another good stop before Tom White curled an effort narrowly over from 20 yards out.
The closest Town came to adding to their tally was when Morris bent a strike narrowly the wrong side of the upright with 73 minutes on the clock.
The Shrimps did apply a fair amount of pressure to the away goal as the final whistle neared, though Weaver’s men defended their box superbly well for the most part and were able to see the game out with their slender advantage intact.