Harrogate Town AFC

Town got back to winning ways following a 2-1 victory against Oldham Athletic with the goals coming from North East duo Jack Diamond and Luke Armstrong.

It was a rainy Saturday afternoon in Greater Manchester and felt like it was the day Autumn officially arrived.
 
Simon Weaver made one change from last weekend as Will Smith was brought in for his first League Two start of the season, replacing the injured Rory McArdle.
 
The first chance of the afternoon came for the Latics, who were the brighter of the two sides in the opening stages. Left winger Dylan Bahamboula clipped a ball to the back stick where Jack Stobbs was waiting and it looked like the easiest of finishes but the winger somehow managed to hit the bar from two yards out before the ball was cleared by the Town defence.
 
The home side continued to dominate in the opening stages and Town's front two of Jack Muldoon and Luke Armstrong were seeing little of the ball but on the half hour mark it was Armstrong's great hold up play which started the move which led to opening goal.
 
The striker was up on his own down the right channel with possession and cleverly waited for the support of Ryan Fallowfield who fizzed the ball into Pattison, who took a really good first touch to set up his cross from by line. The delivery found Diamond in acres of space in the middle of the box and it was a simple finish for the Sunderland loanee, who scored his first goal since returning to the club.
 
The goal disrupted Oldham's positive start and a change to 4-3-3 from Simon Weaver shortly after taking the lead provided another challenge for Keith Curle's Latics.
 
Nearing the end of the half, both sides had chances from corners. First, Will Smith headed over after making an intelligent run to the near post and then at the other end, Connor Hall made a great goal saving header to deny Harrison McGahey who struck sweetly when the second dropped to his feet.
 
Oldham started the second half just like they did the first and a minute in, Bahamboula saw his curling narrowly fall wide of the far post. Stobbs then hit the post with his misdirected cross but despite this, the home fans were beginning to vent their frustration.
 
That frustration would have boiled over if Pattison had managed to keep his effort down following Armstrong's pull back but instead of finding the back of the net, the midfielder found row Z.
 
It would be the last bit of action for Pattison, who was replaced by Lloyd Kerry on the 56^th minute.
 
Three minutes after coming on, Kerry was in the book for what can be described as a forceful Kerry like challenge.
 
Moments before that, Town had a great opportunity to double their lead through Armstrong who was working tirelessly up top. He did well to force a mistake out of McGahey and drive into the box with possession.  The striker opted shoot with his left foot when probably the better option would have been to square the ball to Diamond who looked in a great position to find the back of the net.
 
In the 66^th minute however, Armstrong made no mistake with his decision making. It started with Kerry and Muldoon who exchanged passes before working the ball into Armstrong. The striker turned and managed to squeeze past his marker to find himself with just the keeper to beat from only a matter of yards out and he did just that.
 
It was Armstrong's seventh goal of the season and looked to be the second goal needed to kill the contest.
 
However, despite it being a much better showing from Town in the second half, when 17-year-old Harry Vaughan came on in the 75^th minute for Oldham and scored almost immediately after with a good finish into the bottom right corner, it made for a tense final 15 minutes.

There were calls from the stands for Oldham to "put the centre halves up front" as Oldham looked for a late equaliser but the goal didn't come and Town left Boundary Park with all three points.

The win keeps Town firmly at the top end of the table with our next league fixture being at the EnviroVent Stadium on Saturday against Scunthorpe United.

Town: Oxley, Fallowfield, Falkingham, Smith, Burrell, Thomson, Pattison (Kerry 56), Muldoon, Hall, Diamond (Power 79), Armstrong

Subs not used: Martin, Orsi, Cracknell, Sheron,

Goals: Diamond 29', Armstrong 66'

Booked: Kerry

Oldham: Leutwiler, Clarke, McGahey, Piergianni, Whelan, Hope, Keeillor-Dunn, Fage (Vaughan 75), Stobbs (Dearnley 70), Diarra (Bowden 64), Bahamboula

Subs not used: Danielewicz, Da Silva, Bettache, Edwards

Goals: Vaughan 76'

Booked:

Referee: David Rock

Attendance: 3,729 (177 away)