REPORT: HARROGATE TOWN 0-3 LEEDS UNITED — Leedsunited.com 19/7/24

Whites dominate in North Yorkshire.

Pre-Season Friendly

Harrogate Town 0

Leeds United 3 (Firpo 12’, Georginio 61’, Chambers 90’)

Leeds United: Meslier (GK) (Darlow 46’), Firpo (Struijk 46’), Ampadu (C), Piroe (Summerville 46’), Rothwell (Crew 46’), Rodon (Byram 46’), Joseph (Gelhardt 46’), James (Chambers 85’), Georginio (Gray 76’), Gruev (Thomas 85’), Debayo (Gnonto 46’). Sub not used: Cairns (GK).

Referee: Andrew Kitchen

Booked: Crew (Leeds)

Venue: Exercise Stadium

Attendance: 3,920

Daniel Farke’s Leeds United got their pre-season campaign off to a winning start with a dominant performance at Harrogate Town’s Exercise Stadium.

In sweltering conditions in North Yorkshire, Dominican Republic international Junior Firpo fired the Whites into the lead in the opening stages, before goals from Georginio Rutter and Sam Chambers sealed the victory after the break.

Backed by a sold out away end, Leeds dominated possession early on, with quick feet from Georginio on the edge of the Sulphurites' penalty area working space for Dan James on the right.

The Wales international’s fizzing low drive found the onrushing Mateo Joseph at the front post, but under pressure from yellow shirts, the young striker was unable to guide his header on target.

Pacy winger James would again find space on the flank moments later, with his dangerous delivery flashing across the face of goal as he looked to find the run of Joel Piroe.

The opener deservedly came just after the 10-minute mark, when a fine piece of skill saw Joseph dance away from a defender and find James on the right.

The attacker returned the favour with a threaded pass into the forward inside the area, with Firpo then on hand to bundle home Joseph’s low cross from close range.

Within minutes and the lead was nearly doubled, as Piroe looked set to tap in Firpo’s cut-back, only for the retreating James Daly to hack clear.

Piroe would be presented with a sight on goal when Georginio was brought down on the edge of the area.

Wide of centre, the Dutch forward flashed a fierce effort back across Town stopper James Belshaw, narrowly sailing wide of the far post.

The Whites, dominating possession, continued to threaten and went within inches of grabbing a second as the impressive Joseph found the run of James, with the 26-year-old dragging a left-footed strike wide.

After James’ blistering pace won his team possession back deep inside the hosts’ territory, Bulgarian international Ilia Gruev then went close, seeing a goalbound drive headed away from danger by Anthony O’Connor.

On the stroke of half time, Simon Weaver’s side had their first effort of the evening, as Liam Gibson glanced Daly’s whipped delivery over, before referee Andrew Kitchen brought the opening 45 minutes to a close.

HALF TIME: Harrogate Town 0-1 Leeds United

Looking to share minutes out amongst the squad, Farke made seven changes at the break, with Karl Darlow, Pascal Struijk, Sam Byram, Charlie Crew, Willy Gnonto, Crysencio Summerville and Joe Gelhardt all brought into the action.

Gnonto and Gelhardt were immediately on the front foot, as the latter’s hooked effort stung the palms of Belshaw after he was picked out inside the area by the Italian international.

Despite all the Whites’ pressure, the hosts did send a reminder that they were still a threat when summer signing Stephen Duke-McKenna rattled the woodwork with a curling free kick from distance.

Just before the hour mark, Belshaw produced two fine saves to deny James, first diving low to his right to parry the winger’s inventive strike with the outside of his boot.

As Leeds recycled possession, the Welshman then latched on to Georginio’s threaded pass in behind the Sulphurites' line, forcing Harrogate’s keeper into a superb reaction save.

The impressive Belshaw was left helpless however when Georginio rifled in a second moments later, reacting quickest when the hosts failed to clear Crysencio Summerville’s dangerous corner to hammer home into the top corner.

Desperate defending from Town substitute Warren Burrell then prevented Gelhardt a chance to add a third, stooping to clear James’ delivery as the forward lurked menacingly on the penalty spot.

With the ball, Gruev was marshalling proceedings and he picked out Gnonto, afforded acres of space on the left flank, who drove before flashing a teasing delivery across the face of goal and beyond the far post.

Into the final 10 minutes and Summerville went within inches of getting on the scoresheet, racing clear and prodding wide under pressure from the onrushing Belshaw.

The stopper was again on hand to intervene for Weaver’s men moments later, palming away Gelhardt’s speculative effort as the Whites looked to extend their lead late on.

In the dying moments, the Whites would deservedly grab a third and in some style, when debutant Chambers drove a fierce effort beyond Belshaw from the edge of the area with the final touch of the game!

FULL TIME: Harrogate Town 0-3 Leeds United