Winsford United 2 Harrogate Town 0

THE smiles returned to Barton Stadium on Saturday as Steve Shaughnessy, in his first official game as manager, steered United to success in the opening match of the campaign.

"It's the best thing that could have happened here after what the club has been through over the last 12 months," said the delighted boss, and so say all of us.

Common sense also surfaced from Shaughnessy, who added: "This is only one game and we still have a lot of work to do." This will be music to the ears of United supporters and we must keep our feet on the ground, but surely the rot has been stopped?

Harrogate had arrived in Mid-Cheshire with the tag of the latest moneybags club, backed by two former Leeds United directors, one of which is ex-Elland Road chairman Leslie Silver.

Silver missed this match as he was away on a cruise, but it was his team who were all at sea as United attacked from the first whistle.

In the opening minute Shaughnessy expertly turned his man and provided a perfect centre, but nobody was on hand to capitalise.

Blues kept up the pressure and the lively Danny Worthington should have provided an early goal of the season candidate, but visiting keeper Chris Hill managed to palm away the shot for a corner.

From this, Harrogate were in more trouble as a Leon Mills shot was blocked on the line after a scramble in the box.

Another chance went begging on 13 minutes. Shaughnessy put Chuku Otutu away, but after progressing well inside the area, his final shot was high and wide.

Shaughnessy was giving games to some players who were on the fringe during Kevin Tully's reign, like Neil Morley, Mills and Otutu, and it was another, David Lloyd, who opened the scoring on 21 minutes.

Worthington was fouled on the edge of the area and from a well worked free-kick, Lloyd struck a low 20-yarder through a crowd of players beyond Hill.

Harrogate improved gradually after this and United keeper Matthew Conkie was called upon to make his only save of the match, diving full stretch to deny Gary Shaw.

Otherwise, Conkie had a quiet afternoon and it was Winsford who wrapped up the points on 82 minutes.

Substitute Troy Hadar seized on a dreadful defensive clearance and slipped the ball through to Worthington, who coolly lobbed the ball over Hill.

Worthington was very close to earning the man of the match vote, but that went to returning centre back Andy Burns and his partner Steve Hibbert. Both were faultless as Hibbert took the sponsor's vote and Burns the press room prize.

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