Josh Falkingham winner seals FA Trophy victory for Harrogate

Posted Tuesday, May 04, 2021 by PA

Harrogate lifted the Buildbase FA Trophy after seeing off Concord Rangers in their rescheduled final at an empty Wembley.

With the date moved twice due to the coronavirus pandemic, the 2019/20 edition of the competition came to a close with Josh Falkingham’s second-half strike sealing a 1-0 win for Harrogate.

With the club now playing in Sky Bet League Two following promotion at the end of last season, Simon Weaver’s side were pushed all the way by their National League South opponents.

Rangers did well not to succumb to early pressure and enjoyed a spell of their own possession as the first half wore on.

Will Smith had an early chance for Harrogate, with George Thomson also having a decent opening.

Experienced striker Jon Stead came close twice, while at the other end Concord midfielder Sam Blackman had their best opportunity before the break.

The second half followed a similar pattern, with Harrogate getting into more dangerous positions before breaking the deadlock 15 minutes from the end.

Jack Muldoon’s fine run ended with a shot which struck a post, the ball falling into the path of Falkingham, who turned in the rebound to win the trophy for the first time in Harrogate’s history.