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30
Dec
Giant-killing on the cards? Harrogate Railway take on Halifax Town in County Cup
Harrogate Railway will have the opportunity to stage a giant killing tonight (December 30) when they play FC Halifax Town in the County Cup.
Halifax are 8th in the National League, where they play alongside the likes of York City, Carlisle United and Forest Green Rovers.
It is five tiers above Harrogate Railway in the English football pyramid.
For comparison, there are only four tiers between the National League and the Premier League, England’s top division.
The two sides have never played each other before.
Harrogate Railway have a rich history in cup competitions, having twice made it to the second round of the FA Cup.
In 2002/03, Railway lost 3-1 at home to Bristol City in the second round, who were in the second division at the time: the equivalent of England’s League One.
In 2007/08, they beat Droylsden in the first round before losing 3-2 to then-League Two side Mansfield Town.
The Rail progressed further than Leeds United in the cup that season.
As they are in step 6 of the English football pyramid, Harrogate Railway did not qualify for the FA Cup this year.
Harrogate Railway co-managers Rob Youhill and Fraser Lancaster will be licking their lips at the opportunity to create another piece of history at Station View tomorrow, albeit in a different cup competition.
Halifax Town have been in good form over the festive period, having not lost a game in December. Probably somewhat annoyingly for the Railway co-managers, though, this is a stark contrast to their form before the two sides were originally meant to play on December 9.
Prior to that, Halifax had lost six out of their last eight games.
Nothing to lose
This will not faze Railway though, who have been in good form all season and have already taken it to teams in higher divisions.
Harrogate Railway have won five of their last eight games, and only lost three games in all competitions.
In October, they even staged an impressive 5-1 victory over Guiseley in the previous round of the County Cup. Guiseley are three tiers above the Rail.
What’s more, Railway have nothing to lose.
The pressure will be on Halifax not to be on the receiving end of a significant cup upset.
The Shaymen will likely make significant changes to their starting lineup too, providing opportunities for their younger, less experienced players or those on the fringes of the first team. Many of these players might be lacking in match fitness.
The Rail, on the other hand, will likely play their strongest squad – match fit and bursting with confidence. And it could be a day for one of Harrogate’s brightest stars to shine.
Harris Eggleston has been in stellar form for Railway this year, and has caught the attention of various clubs in higher divisions.
When the Stray Ferret spoke to Youhill in September, the co-manager said he believes that Eggleston will go on to become a professional footballer.
With 11 goals in all competitions so far this season, the tricky winger could be the difference-maker on Tuesday.
Harris Eggleston scored an 88th-minute winner against Louth Town in August.
Speaking to the Stray Ferret, Youhill said:
It’s another nice challenge after Guiseley and an opportunity to give the boys a test.We want to make a game of it and play to our strengths.
They might want to come here and just pass it around for 90 minutes, but I’ve asked the lads to make big tackles straight away and not to respect the opposition. We want to give people a good insight into what we’re about.
Whatever the score, it’s shaping up to be an exciting night in Starbeck.
Harrogate Railway vs FC Halifax Town will kick off at 7.45pm on Tuesday, December 30, at Station View.
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