- Largie Ramazani’s 59th minute goal saw Leeds overcome Harrogate Town
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Sutton United, Newport County and Crawley Town. They are the lower-league teams who have knocked Leeds United out of the FA Cup in the last eight years, and for an hour at Elland Road on Saturday night, home fans must have feared Harrogate Town were about to join that list.
As it was, the Championship leaders squeezed past the League Two strugglers thanks to Largie Ramazani’s header. But this was a nervous night for Leeds in the first-ever competitive meeting between the two Yorkshire sides and Daniel Farke ended it relieved to have avoided embarrassment.
The Whites boss saw his much-changed side enjoy two thirds of the possession and have 21 attempts at goal. Yet their wastefulness meant a team ranked 68 places below them in the football pyramid had hope until the final whistle.
Opposing fans like to sing how Harrogate is just a ‘town full of tea shops’, while the club’s chief executive Sarah Barry was asked in the week if it was ‘too posh for football’. Well, Simon Weaver’s men put that myth to bed as they took the fight to their illustrious neighbours – even if they ultimately failed to give them a bloody nose.
This was far from your usual Yorkshire derby at Elland Road. They are usually hostile affairs, but there was a more convivial atmosphere inside this old ground, perhaps because many home fans actually count Harrogate as their second club and will attend both Elland Road and Wetherby Road throughout a season.
Harrogate even train on the outskirts of Leeds, which is closer to Elland Road than the hosts. And Weaver – the longest-serving manager in the top four divisions – had called on his players to make sure they enjoyed what was the club’s second-ever third-round tie.
Largie Ramazani scored the only goal as Leeds beat Harrogate in the FA Cup third round
Ramazani managed to find the net in the 59th minute of the tie at Elland Road
Toby SIms of Harrogate is left frustrated after his effort was kept out by Karl Darlow
Josuha Guilavogui of Leeds looks to retain possession under pressure from Jack Muldoon
Both teams, of course, have other priorities this season. Leeds lead the Championship in their push for Premier League promotion, and the Sulphurites are 21st in League Two and battling relegation.
As such, Farke made eight changes to his Whites team but he still picked a strong side packed with experience, with all of his stars ready to be called off the bench if required.
Josuha Guilavogui was making his first start for Leeds following his free transfer in October. And the Frenchman was perhaps fortunate not to concede a penalty early on when he tangled with Harrogate striker Josh March, who took a tumble in the box.
That, though, was the last time Town would find themselves in such a position for the rest of a first half dominated by the hosts.
Harrogate were indebted to their captain Warren Burrell for blocking Mateo Joseph’s strike after Ramazani led a swift Leeds counter.
Then just before the break Joseph struck the woodwork from the edge of the box after terrorising the Harrogate defence. On the whole, though, Leeds were wasteful in the final third, which is why Harrogate’s dream of a cup upset was still alive at the halfway mark.
At the start of the second half, Solomon brushed the bar with a curling effort. But Harrogate were enjoying much more of the ball, with March drawing a first save out of Leeds stand-in stopper Karl Darlow.
Just as the underdogs were starting to grow in confidence, however, Leeds finally broke the deadlock on the hour-mark to roars of relief inside Elland Road.
Leeds’ Mateo Joseph goes for goal during the FA Cup third round tie on Saturday evening
Daniel Farke saw his Leeds side progress to the fourth round despite him making eight changes
Solomon raced past Dean Cornelius down the left before standing up a cross to Ramazani, who found himself unmarked five yards out to comfortably nod into the net.
Leeds were denied a second when Harrogate goalkeeper James Belshaw blocked substitute Daniel James’ close-range shot with his legs. It meant the visitors still had hope in the dying stages, but Farke’s favourites held firm to reach the fourth round.
