Harrogate Town 0 Walsall FC 2: Lack of 'killer edge' to blame for Sulphurites' home defeat

Harrogate Town forward Abraham Odoh finds his route to goal blocked by the Walsall defence. Pictures: Matt Kirkham

The Sulphurites slipped out of the League Two play-off places following Saturday’s loss to a resolute Saddlers side, who were happy to cede possession, but proved to be clinical when it mattered.

Town, by contrast, saw plenty of the ball, but didn’t do enough in the final third, according to their manager.

"We did pin them back, you know, and the stats suggest that,” Weaver reflected. “With the overall percentage, the pass percentage, 65 percent possession and 71 percent in the second half, we were good in the first two thirds. In the final third, we lacked that killer edge.

Dean Cornelius came as close as anyone in Harrogate colours to making a breakthrough, rattling the cross-bar shortly before half-time.

“I don't think we stretched their keeper enough. I think it was high, wide and handsome, or shots were blocked or we made the wrong decision to pass it across, even from 10 yards, eight yards out. Sometimes we chose to pass it rather than have a strike at glory.

“Games against back fives when they come to shut you out, it's not easy to go through the gears and always get to the byline or when there's bodies in front of you, it's pretty difficult, you know, and their game-plan worked.

“Fair play, they did block us out, but I think it was as much down to our lack of incisive edge and ruthless edge with the striking and the creation of chances, and their good play to be fair, respect to them.

"I thought that we did pick up the pace a bit in the second half with the passing. There was more pace on the passes, they got to our man just that bit quicker. But, too many times, we went backwards in the middle and final third and it's okay building up possession, however we have to scan and be aware of when we can go and penetrate.”

Sulphurites boss Simon Weaver watches on from his technical area.

Town did have the ball in the back of the Walsall net shortly before half-time when Matty Daly followed up to ‘score’ after Dean Cornelius rattled an effort from distance against the cross-bar, but that effort was erroneously disallowed for offside.

Weaver however refused to blame that mistake by the match officials for Town finishing up empty-handed.

"There was that one great strike that we had, Deano from 25 yards out and it bounced back out,” he said.

"I’ve seen the replays and three players were playing our goal-scorer on, which is frustrating, but we didn't lose because of that.

"We had a couple switch-off moments and we just weren't incisive enough with our forward play.”

Town fell behind just a minute into the second period when Tom Knowles crossed from the right and Liam Gordon arrived on the edge of the Harrogate penalty area to steer an expert first-time finish back across James Belshaw and into the corner of the net.

The Sulphurites did create chances to get themselves back on terms, with George Thomson seeing a curling strike well saved, Anthony O’Connor firing over the top from a corner when it looked easier to score and Daly shooting narrowly wide following good work by substitute Josh March.

But, unlike in their previous home outing against Colchester, where a Harrogate goal seemed like it was always coming – and duly arrived in stoppage-time – Town could not find a breakthrough, with Mo Faal wrapping things up for the visitors late on.

"I had the feeling that it wasn’t going to happen more so probably than the Colchester game, where I thought it's going to happen, it's going to happen, it's going to happen,” Weaver continued.

"I did feel that we were moments away, you know. We made a change and Marchy [March] did the little flick inside and you think you expect it to happen, you know.

"There were a few moments like that and the crowd really whipped up the storm at the kop end and I expect things to happen because I think we've got a talented bunch and I think we've got a good crowd, camaraderie, good crowd behind us and but there'd be lots of twists and turns and today didn't quite go for us but it was by no means a bad performance.

“It's a bit frustrating but I'm not too downbeat. I think Walsall came into it in a rich vein of form, two good wins, Morecambe and Mansfield and we knew that they’d set up with that back five.

"The gap to the play-off places it's nothing, and we go again Tuesday, looking to come out all guns blazing.”

Saturday’s result sees Town drop four places to 11th in the League Two standings, where they now sit three points behind Gillingham, who occupy the division’s last play-off berth.