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Match Reports

Town 4 Eastleigh 0

1 September 2018

Harrogate Town started September with an emphatic win as a brace apiece from Jack Muldoon and Mark beck put Eastleigh to the sword at The CNG Stadium.

Liam Agnew, on his 50th club appearance, created Town's opener; closing down the opposition defence before rounding the 'keeper and seeing the loose ball fall to Muldoon with an open goal to aim at.

Town's number 18 made it two seconds after the restart, racing through and poking past Graham Stack before substitute Mark Beck finished well with ten to play.

There was still time for Beck to claim another as the striker guided George Thomson's cross into the corner with his head and ensure Town ended the day in second place.

Simon Weaver made one change from Bank Holiday Monday's point at AFC Fylde as Liam Agnew replaced injured Captain Josh Falkingham, while loan signing Levi Sutton was named on the bench.

Eastleigh had the first attempt of the game with Captain Danny Holland blazing over from long range, though the visitors soon had to make a number of blocks to deny strikes from Dom Knowles and Lloyd Kerry reaching the goal.

James Belshaw was called into action just as the contest approached the 20 minute mark as the stopper kept out Mark Yeates well hit drive from outside the area.

Six minutes later Agnew stole possession from the sleeping Eastleigh centre back and managed to round goakkeeper Graham Stack who brought down the midfielder, but Muldoon was up with play to tap into an empty net.

The Spitfires continued to be limited to long range shots until, five minutes before the break top scorer Paul McCallum got on the end of a corner, but headed wide.

In what was the last action of the half, good footwork from Oscar Gobern created space for a shot, but the midfielder fired over the bar.

Inside the first minute of the second half, Muldoon found himself in on goal and confidently poked his second of the afternoon past Stack.

Moments before the hour mark Liam Kitching almost made it two as the Leeds loanee met Joe Leesley's free kick, but headed wide of the post.

The visitors were still in the game, but couldn't find a way past Belshaw as the Town stopper again denied Yeates, this time after a quick counter attack.

Town nearly made it three in style in the 71st minute as lovely quick passes between George Thomson and Knowles found Agnew at the back post, whose finish clipped the post on it's way behind.

With ten minutes to play the third goal arrived in the form of substitute Beck who beat the offside trap to collect Leesley's through ball and finished well.

There was still time for Beck to claim another as the striker guided George Thomson's cross into the corner with his head and ensure Town ended the day in second place.

Harrogate Town: Belshaw, Howe, Burrell, Thomson, Knowles (Williams 76), Leesley (Sutton 92), Agnew, Langmead, Kerry, Muldoon (Beck 64), Kitching

Subs not used: Parker, Cracknell, Williams

Goals: Muldoon 26, 46, Beck 80, 88

Eastleigh: Stack, Hare, Green, Gobern, Johnson, McCallum, Yeates, Zebroski, Boyce (Jones 48 (Bearwish 56)), Miley, Hollands (Dennet 53)

Subs not used: Baughn, Flitney

Referee: D Bourne

Attendance: 1158

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