From the Terraces: Harrogate Town keep finding ways to win, it's just a shame we can't be there to watch

What a week for Harrogate Town! Two wins in two very different circumstances, and we find ourselves witnessing a team that just seems to be growing stronger in this league.

I’m sitting down in relative comfort to write this after our victory at Blundell Park on Tuesday night. In normal times, I’d be hunched over my phone trying to pen this column in the midst of an over-excited coachload of Town fans, under a faint light next to a smelly toilet, on the way back from the game. If only.

Our victory at Grimsby turned out to be a virtual repeat of the Bradford City victory, as Town bossed the game, playing with a high tempo on the front foot, refusing to let our opponents play out from the back.

As at Valley Parade, we should have been looking at a greater margin of victory, but that’s a minor quibble on another truly outstanding team performance.

If the first goal was a result of Town’s pressing, and an unfortunate lack of judgement by the keeper in passing the ball back to George Thomson rather than conceding a corner, the second was one of those goals you live for.

A lightening break and shot from Calvin Miller, parried by the keeper and, before the ‘oohs’ had died in mine and my daughter Molly’s throats, Jack Muldoon nipping to smash the loose ball into the net.

In the absence of Jack Diamond, Town have started the season largely playing to their considerable strengths down the right-hand flank. Now, with Miller, if they can get him more into the play, they have strength again on both wings.

The Barrow match on Saturday, was certainly historic; it being our first ever EFL match at Wetherby Road, but it was also a little frustrating.

Living but 10 minutes’ walk away, I wanted to head down to the ground and pop my head over the fence, hire a cherry picker, scale one of the local trees or befriend one of the local residents with a window that overlooks the ground. I’m sure plenty of Town fans felt the same way.

Instead, we had to make do with watching it on occasionally blurry TV footage. Still, you have to make the best of a bad situation, and I’m immensely grateful we can at least manage to do that.

It’s not as if there’s much else to spend the £10 television ‘admission’ fee on at the moment.

Barrow had certainly done their homework, not allowing Town to play their normal passing game, while producing some nice stuff themselves.

Hence, Harrogate didn’t create much, but the one decisive, route-one moment in the game was all they needed, Will Smith arrowing a long ball down the right flank to Muldoon, who took one touch before cracking the ball past a startled keeper at his near-post.

Thankfully, although they huffed and puffed, the Bluebirds had no such penetration. Town have indeed become a team that finds a way to win, even when the usual avenues have been blocked.

It’s certainly a good time to be a Town fan on the pitch, if not off it.

“It’s just not the same, watching it on TV. When are they going to let supporters go to matches again?”asked my daughter whilst watching the win at Grimsby.

“I know,” was the only response I could muster. The second half of her question remains unanswerable.

Despite all the good news after Barrow, some frustrations boiled over a little bit online, when pictures showing socially-distanced figures in the stand came to light, a couple seemingly wearing Town colours.

Having tried to get into the play-off semi-final last year, and failed, as I wanted to write about it for this very column, I know Covid restrictions are extremely tight in terms of access.

If I’d been allowed to attend though, I too would have worn Town colours.

The frustrations just serve to show the depth of passion for the club; I understand them entirely yet also realise, at the same time, that the club would dearly love to let some supporters in, but it’s just not possible to do so at this moment in time.

Mind you, having just been told that my application for voluntary redundancy has been approved at work this morning, I’m available as a security guard if you want me, Town. I’ll even work for free!