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Harrogate Town away preview for Tuesday night

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Harrogate Town away preview for Tuesday night

Postby Sweden Stag » Sun Jan 30, 2022 7:49 pm

The record was broken last Saturday. A 30-season long one of seven straight Football League victories dating back from the 1991-92 season, a promotion one from the then Division Four, went into the history books when the Stags beat Leyton Orient to a 2-0 scoreline at headquarters, being the eighth consecutive Stags Football League victory. This run, which started two months ago, has catapulted the Stags from a lower mid-table position into a playoff position one, with just three points less than the current third-placed side, Newport County.

Now the stage is set for the first one of several forthcoming away trips. And this one is definitely a revenge mission as Harrogate Town beat the Stags to a 3-1 scoreline at One Call earlier this season in a feisty encounter which saw two Stags red cards in quick succession moments after the ref officiating then missed a stonewall penalty for the Stags.

At that time, Harrogate Town were riding high in the table, and still after eleven games in second position following a 6-1 rout of Scunthorpe in early October, while the Stags were on a poor run which culminated in bottom-but-one position before the Stags’ home fixture against Tranmere in late October.

From then on, the Stags haven’t looked back. Eleven wins out of twelve, while Harrogate have headed in the opposite position. After the above-mentioned mauling of Scunthorpe, Harrogate Town have won just three and lost nine games out of fourteen and have slid into lower mid-table despite lots of goals from Muldoon and Armstrong, nine apiece. But Harrogate have also conceded a lot, seven in their last two games on the road without scoring, three at Stevenage last Saturday and four at Newport. Yet in their latest home fixture, a Muldoon hat-trick saw off Oldham to a 3-0 scoreline.

All previous games against Harrogate Town in all competitions have been lost. So the next draw or win against Harrogate Town will be the Stags’ first ever,

The home fixture earlier this season and last season’s fixtures between the sides highlighted very much the Stags’ problems against newly-promoted sides in preview history. The proof: both games against Harrogate were lost by the only goal of the game after very poor displays, enough printed. The Stags also lost both games against last season’s other promoted side, namely Barrow AFC. And in the season before last, the Stags lost both games against Leyton Orient and the one which was played against Salford City.

Last season was Harrogate Town’s first ever in the EFL. Well there, they finished lower mid-table, one position below the Stags and lost ten home games, only Oldham and relegated Southend lost more on home soil last term.
But Harrogate Town won eight games on the road, including their debut game, acomprehensive 4-0 victory at Southend almost a year ago.

On Tuesday night, there will be eight League Two fixtures including the Stags’ one at Harrogate. Some sides around us in the table are playing. Tranmere at home to Stevenage, Swindon face Crawley while Northampton entertain Barrow in the first game between the sides for half a century as the sides last met at County Ground when Barrow were voted out in 1971-72. Now, the Bluebirds will face the Cobblers at Sixfields. Meanwhile, current runaway leaders Forest Green have a tricky tie at Port Vale.

There has at least been THREE players who have played for the Stags and Harrogate Town in recent history. Research has revealed that Paul Bolland was the first one. Ten games for the Stags followed a loan move to Harrogate Town where he played 55 Conference North games over two seasons around 2012-13. And in the 2012-13 season, Harrogate Town reached the FA Cup second round for the first time. After beating Torquay, Harrogate Town lost the second round away replay at Hastings on penalties after an epic tie. The winner was drawn away to Middlesbrough in the third round, that same third round in which the Stags played Liverpool at headquarters.

The second player is John McCombe. Signed by Paul Cox upon the League Two return, he managed just a handful games for the Stags before leaving for York City. After playing for Macclesfield and Chester, McCombe signed for Harrogate Town and played 14 games for them during the 2017-18 before leaving for Boston United without playing. The most recent club for McCombe was Hyde United, a side the Stags faced during the 2012-13 conf winning campaign.

Warren Burrell played in the Stags’ final 2007-08 League Two fixture at Dagenham & Redbridge but has represented Harrogate Town since 2016, having played in over 120 EFL and Conf games since then and this season played 24 League Two fixtures, scoring once.
Before reaching the FA Cup second round in 2012-13, Harrogate Town had reached the first round a decade earlier for the first time ever, losing at Farnborough to a 5-1 scoreline. In 2005-06, the first round was reached again, only to lose a replay against Torquay on penalties, but revenge was sealed in 2012 when Harrogate again were drawn against the Gulls. On November 3, 2012, Harrogate clipped the Gulls at a venue well-known to the previewer. At Plainmoor, Harrogate triumphed to a 1-0 scoreline and the long journey home to Yorkshire was definitely victorious.

Still, expect a good test on Tuesday night. Come on Mansfield!
Stockholm, July 4, 2008, 15.00 GMT. Good news came, K.H. gone. March 1, 2012. Ground purchased.
Sweden Stag
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