Why losing Josh March to Crewe Alexandra will leave Harrogate Town with a big hole to fill

The 28-year-old striker, who weighed in with 12 goal contributions (nine goals, three assists), turned down a new deal at Wetherby Road and has opted to join League Two rivals Crewe Alexandra on a free transfer.

Out of contract this summer, March was offered terms by the Sulphurites, with manager Simon Weaver stating publicly that the ex-Stevenage hitman was someone he very much wanted to keep hold of.

But, in openly addressing the fact that he expected March would need time to make up his mind as he had “a lot to weigh up” - including the length of his commute to Yorkshire - the Town boss gave the impression that it was far from a certainty that the player would decide to stay put.

And it should come as no surprise that March had other suitors given how he performed over the course of the last six months.

A glance at his vital statistics - nine goals in 41 appearances last term and 15 in 85 games across his two spells with Harrogate - is hardly likely to set Crewe fans’ pulses racing.

But those numbers do not do him justice. A real livewire and genuine goal-threat during his initial spell with Town while on loan from Forest Green back in 2021, March may not have looked like the same player in his first 14 months back with the Sulphurites, however he did eventually come good.

Signed as a replacement for Luke Armstrong, he rejoined the club on a permanent deal from League One Stevenage early in the 2023/24 season.

Carrying a knock at the time of his signing for an undisclosed fee, March needed some time to work his way up to speed and continued issues with both his form and fitness meant that he endured a difficult first year-and-a-bit of his second spell in yellow and black.

It took him 25 appearances (10 starts) to get on the score-sheet, with that predatory headed finish during a 3-0 win over Bradford City the only time he would find the back of the net all season.

One goal in 31 matches in 2023/24 followed by just one more solitary strike in his first 12 appearances of 2024/25 had supporters wondering what had become of the player who looked such a threat during his initial stint at the club.

And it was only much later in the season that Weaver revealed just how tough March had found it to rediscover any kind of rhythm because "his body just would not allow him to."

But, once back firing on all cylinders, his performances from November onwards demonstrated just how much he has to offer at this level of football.

Undoubtedly better suited to playing in a two up top, Weaver’s decision to revert back to his tried-and-tested 4-4-2 system certainly helped bring out the best in March.

When fit, in the groove and playing with a degree of confidence, he looks a very decent all-round package.

Although he has not been prolific since his non-league days, March is a pretty reliable finisher and scored all types of goals for Town.

The technique displayed in the process of rifling home a stunning first-time effort from a narrow angle away at Walsall is likely the strike he will be best remembered for.

But, he is generally pretty composed in one-on-one situations, a threat inside the penalty area and also useful with his head - as demonstrated in the process of scoring against his new employers back in February.

As adept running in behind as he is at getting on the end of crosses, March is always a nuisance as far as opposition centre-halves were concerned, a constant pest who never stops grafting for his team-mates.

His movement is usually intelligent and although purists might say he is a player who goes down too easily, a pragmatist will acknowledge that March is generally quite clever when it comes to drawing contact from opponents and/or ‘buying’ fouls.

Although not a natural target man, he definitely got better over time when it came to holding up the ball and linking play, and while he isn’t the most physical, is far from lightweight and also has a bit of pace about him.

To sum up, March ticks nearly all the boxes. And, what’s more, at 28 years of age, he’s a player very much in his prime.

Question marks may hang over his goal-scoring record, however, it is worth considering the fact that when you look back on last season, he was hardly guilty of numerous glaring misses.

Nine goals may not be a huge return, but a striker is only as good as the service he gets and March was often feeding off scraps. Indeed, Harrogate's XG expected goals during 2024/25 was the lowest in the whole of League Two.

The real question for Town now is, how do they replace what they have lost - their most accomplished centre-forward and a player who had become one of the first names on Weaver's team-sheet.

Number nines of March's age, with a decent track-record in front of goal, plenty of Football League experience always come at a premium.

And when you factor in geography, financial constraints and the size and history of the vast majority of their League Two rivals, the pond Weaver is fishing in for March's replacement will not be a big one.

Reality and experience of the past suggest that Harrogate will now have to take something of a gamble on either another prospect who is unproven at the level, or a player whose best years are probably behind them.

As things stand, with the out-of-contract Jack Muldoon still considering his own offer of a new deal, rookie Tom Cursons is the only recognised striker currently on the Sulphurites' books.

And, while he undoubtedly has a lot of potential, the 23-year-old is still raw and needs someone just like March to learn from during what will be his first-ever campaign as a full-time professional.

It looks like Weaver and head of recruitment Lloyd Kerry now have even more work to do this summer if they want to avoid finding themselves in another relegation scrap next term.