Harrogate claim first home win of League Two season to stun leaders Doncaster

Posted Friday, September 13, 2024 by PA

Hard-working Harrogate prevented Doncaster from extending their one-point lead at the top of the Sky Bet League Two table as Ellis Taylor and Josh March goals secured a 2-0 home win.

The defeat meant Yorkshire rivals Rovers have now failed to beat the Sulphurites in all five league meetings between the two clubs, even though Simon Weaver’s men went into this latest contest on the back of three straight defeats without scoring a goal.

It took 27 minutes for Harrogate to open the scoring in front of the Thursday night Sky Sports cameras, however, as Taylor claimed only his second senior goal by meeting James Daly’s left-wing cross with a clinical stooping header.

The hosts then doubled their advantage in first-half stoppage time when Jasper Moon hoofed the ball up the pitch and March sprinted clear of a flat-footed visitors defence before diverting Jay McGrath’s last-ditch challenge past goalkeeper Ted Sharman-Lowe.

Doncaster made a flurry of second-half substitutes to try and find an avenue back into the game.

But, other than a deflected long-range McGrath drive, could not trouble home keeper James Belshaw and left North Yorkshire without scoring on their league travels for the first time since Boxing Day.