The 2020–21 season was the first season Harrogate Town played in the Football League following their promotion from the National League in the previous season. They competed in League Two, the fourth tier of English football, alongside the FA Cup, EFL Cup, and EFL Trophy. The club began the season at the Keepmoat Stadium in Doncaster, South Yorkshire, whilst a grass pitch was installed at their traditional Wetherby Road stadium in Harrogate, North Yorkshire.
Background
The 2019–20 season saw Harrogate Town finish second in the National League, and thus qualified for the play-offs. They defeated Boreham Wood 1–0 in the semi-final, before a 3–1 victory over Notts County in the final secured Harrogate's promotion to the Football League for the first time in their history.
Since the EFL require all matches to be played on grass pitches, the club played all their home matches for the first month of the season at Doncaster Rovers' Keepmoat Stadium whilst the club replaced their synthetic pitch at Wetherby Road.
At the end of June 2020, defenders Maxim Kouogun, George Smith and Matty Taylor were all released following the expiry of their contracts, whilst the contract of midfielder Sam Jones was terminated with immediate effect.
Transfers Transfers in DatePositionNamePrevious clubFee 11 August 2020 MF Connor Kirby Sheffield Wednesday Free transfer 11 August 2020 DF Jake Lawlor Wrexham Free transfer 13 August 2020 MF Tom Walker AFC Fylde Undisclosed 14 August 2020 DF Kevin Lokko Dover Athletic Free transfer 11 September 2020 GK Melvin Minter Kings Langley Free transfer 3 October 2020 DF Calvin Miller Celtic Free transfer 15 December 2020 DF Ed Francis No club Free transfer 7 January 2021 DF Jay Williams Kettering Town Undisclosed 18 January 2021 MF Simon Power Norwich City Undisclosed
Loans in Date fromPositionNameFromDate until 11 September 2020 DF Dan Jones Salford City End of season 5 January 2021 FW Josh March Forest Green Rovers 11 March 2021 6 January 2021 MF William Hondermarck Norwich City End of season 8 January 2021 FW Josh McPake Rangers End of season 8 January 2021 DF Mitchell Roberts Birmingham City End of season 1 February 2021 FW Josh Andrews Birmingham City End of season
Loans out Date fromPositionNameToDate until 25 September 2020 MF Scott Brown Warrington Town End of season 23 October 2020 GK Melvin Minter Darlington 16 January 2021 10 November 2020 MF Joe Leesley Boston United End of season 30 November 2020 MF Tom Walker Notts County 3 January 2021 11 January 2021 MF Calvin Miller Notts County End of season 21 April 2021 MF Connor Kirby Altrincham End of season
Transfers out DatePositionNameToFee 26 September 2020 MF Liam Agnew Blyth Spartans Mutual consent 28 September 2020 DF Matt Taylor Warrington Town Free transfer 7 January 2021 MF Jack Emmett No club Retired
Friendly matches WinDrawLoss DateTimeOpponentVenueResultScorersAttendance16:00Middlesbrough U23Away2–0Falkingham 27', Muldoon 30'019:45Brighouse TownAway0–0—20015:00SunderlandAway0–1—0
Competitions League Two
League table
Results summary
Results by round
Matches The League Two fixtures were announced on 21 August 2020, with Harrogate's first fixture being away to Southend United. WinDrawLoss DateTimeOpponentVenueResultScorersAttendanceReferee15:00Southend UnitedAway4–0Muldoon (2) 25', 69', Kerry 44', Martin 60'0Antony Coggins15:00WalsallHome2–2Martin 32', Muldoon 42'0James Adcock15:00Port ValeAway0–00Ben Toner15:00Bolton WanderersHome 1–2Thomson 61'0Ben Speedie19:45Bradford CityAway1–0Kerry 74'0Darren Drysdale15:00BarrowHome1–0Muldoon 22'0Declan Bourne19:45Grimsby TownAway2–1Muldoon (2) 25', 43'0Seb Stockbridge15:00Colchester UnitedAway1–2Stead 61'0Will Finnie19:00StevenageHome0–00Graham Salisbury15:00Newport CountyAway1–2Smith 44'0Paul Howard19:00Tranmere RoversHome0–10Ross Joyce15:00Crawley TownHome1–1Muldoon 85'0Martin Coy15:00Leyton OrientAway0–30Neil Hair19:00Mansfield TownAway1–0Miller 27'0Carl Boyeson19:00Scunthorpe UnitedHome2–5Muldoon 35', Hall 90+2'0Paul Howard15:00Forest Green RoversHome0–1410Marc Edwards15:00MorecambeAway0–10Ollie Yates19:45Exeter CityAway2–1Kiernan 31', Muldoon 75'1,559Lee Swabey15:00Salford CityHome0–1495Trevor Kettle15:00Oldham AthleticAway2–1Thomson (2) 30', 71'0Ben Speedie15:00Cambridge UnitedAway1–2Muldoon 10'0Carl Brook19:00Exeter CityHome0–00Scott Oldham19:00Salford CityAway2–2Muldoon 37', Francis 90+3'0Marc Edwards19:00Tranmere RoversHome2–3McPake 25', March 72'0Andy Haines15:00Newport CountyHome2–1March 34', Martin 66'0Christopher Pollard15:00Crawley TownAway3–1Martin 13', March 30' (pen.), Power 45+3'0Dean Whitestone18:00Cheltenham TownHome0–10Graham Salisbury19:00Carlisle UnitedHome1–0March 28' (pen.)0Seb Stockbridge15:00Scunthorpe UnitedAway1–3March 27' (pen.)0John Busby19:00Mansfield TownHome1–0Martin 46'0Ross Joyce15:00Grimsby TownHome1–0Beck 77'0Trevor Kettle19:00BarrowAway1–0Muldoon 84'0Robert Lewis6 March 202115:00StevenageAway0–10Scott Oldham9 March 202119:00Colchester UnitedHome3–0Beck 1', Smith 45+1', McPake 56'0Simon Mather13 March 202115:00Forest Green RoversAway1–2Williams 90+1'0Christopher Pollard20 March 202115:00MorecambeHome0–10Josh Smith27 March 202115:00Southend UnitedHome0–10Leigh Doughty2 April 202115:00WalsallAway0–00Will Finnie5 April 202115:00Port ValeHome0–20Rebecca Welch10 April 202115:00Bolton WanderersAway1–2Beck 13'0Sam Allison13 April 202119:00Leyton OrientHome2–2Jones 58', McPake 74'0Anthony Backhouse17 April 202112:30Bradford CityHome2–1Muldoon 22', McPake 89'0James Adcock20 April 202119:00Oldham AthleticHome0–30Carl Boyeson24 April 202115:00Carlisle UnitedAway1–1Muldoon 11'0Chris Sarginson30 April 202119:00Cambridge UnitedHome5–4Kiernan (3) 9, 20, 32' (pen.), Beck 13', Lokko 84'0Ollie Yates8 May 202115:00Cheltenham TownAway1–4Muldoon 7'0Ben Speedie
FA Cup
The draw for the first round was made on 26 October. The second round draw was revealed on Monday, 9 November by Danny Cowley.
WinDrawLoss
RoundDateTimeOpponentVenueResultScorersAttendanceRefereeFirst round6 November 202019:45Skelmersdale UnitedHome4–1Miller 1', Beck 45+3', Lawlor 68', Martin 73'0Bobby MadleySecond round28 November 202015:00BlackpoolHome0–4—0James Oldham
EFL Cup
WinDrawLoss The first round draw was made live on Sky Sports on 18 August 2020, with Harrogate being drawn away to fellow League Two side Tranmere Rovers, with the match set to be played on 5 September 2020. The draw for both the second and third round were confirmed on September 6, live on Sky Sports by Phil Babb.
RoundDateTimeOpponentVenueResultScorersAttendanceReferee15:00Tranmere RoversAway1–1 Kerry 69'0Tom Nield18:00West Bromwich AlbionAway0–30Thomas Bramall
EFL Trophy
WinDrawLoss
The regional group stage draw was confirmed on 18 August.
RoundDateTimeOpponentVenueResultScorersAttendanceReferee19:45Grimsby TownAway2–2 Kiernan 81', Lokko 86'0James Bell19:45Leicester City U21Home 3–1Stead 16', Jones 20', Kiernan 58'0Andy Haines19:00Hull CityHome0–20Peter Wright
Statistics Appearances and goals
Last updated 9 May 2021.
! colspan=14 style=background:#dcdcdc; text-align:center| Goalkeepers
! colspan=14 style=background:#dcdcdc; text-align:center| Defenders
! colspan=14 style=background:#dcdcdc; text-align:center| Midfielders
! colspan=14 style=background:#dcdcdc; text-align:center| Forwards
Top scorers Includes all competitive matches. The list is sorted by squad number when total goals are equal.
Last updated 9 May 2021.
PositionNationalityPlayerEFL League TwoEFL CupEFL TrophyFA CupTotal1FW18Jack Muldoon15000152FW10Aaron Martin50016MF14Brendan Kiernan402063FW9Mark Beck40015FW24Josh March500054FW28Josh McPake400045MF7George Thomson30003MF17Lloyd Kerry210036DF3Dan Jones10102DF5Will Smith20002FW16Jon Stead10102MF19Calvin Miller10012DF26Kevin Lokko101027DF12Jake Lawlor00011DF20Connor Hall10001DF22Ed Francis10001DF27Jay Williams10001FW30Simon Power10001Own goals 0 0 0 0 0TOTALS5115461
Cleansheets Includes all competitive matches. The list is sorted by squad number when total cleansheets are equal.
Last updated 9 May 2021.
PositionNationalityPlayerEFL League TwoEFL CupEFL TrophyFA CupTotal1GK1James Belshaw11000112GK13Joe Cracknell20002TOTALS1300013
Disciplinary record Includes all competitive matches.
Last updated 9 May 2021.
PositionNationalityNumberNameLeague TwoEFL CupEFL TrophyFA CupTotalMF 4 Josh Falkingham 8 1 0 0 0 0 1 0 9 1DF 6 Warren Burrell 7 1 0 0 0 0 1 0 8 1MF 17 Lloyd Kerry 6 1 0 0 0 0 1 0 7 1DF 5 Will Smith 2 1 1 0 1 0 0 0 4 1DF 20 Connor Hall 3 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 3 1DF 3 Dan Jones 4 0 0 0 0 0 1 0 5 0DF 2 Ryan Fallowfield 3 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 3 0FW 10 Aaron Martin 3 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 3 0MF 15 Connor Kirby 3 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 3 0MF 7 George Thomson 3 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 3 0DF 22 Ed Francis 2 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 2 0 FW 24 Josh March 2 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 2 0DF 12 Jake Lawlor 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 0DF 27 Jay Williams 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 0DF 29 Mitchell Roberts 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 0MF 28 Josh McPake 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 0DF 26 Kevin Lokko 0 0 0 0 1 0 0 0 1 0 MF 19 Calvin Miller 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 0 1 0 TOTALS505102050585
Notes
References