Josh Falkingham’s goal was his first of the season for HarrogateHarrogate Town stayed patient to beat spirited underdogs Concord Rangers in the 2019-20 FA Trophy final at Wembley.
Jon Stead twice went close in the first half for the League Two side, with Jack Muldoon also testing Chris Haigh.
National League South club Concord did not have a shot on target but defender Jack Cawley missed a golden chance.
Harrogate’s superior fitness showed late on and Josh Falkingham tapped in the only goal after Muldoon’s shot hit the post and fell to him.
It is the Yorkshire side’s first FA Trophy crown and follows their promotion from the National League last season.
The final, at an empty Wembley, was being played almost a year later than initially scheduled because of coronavirus – with a strange quirk being that Simon Weaver’s Harrogate were the first Football League side to play in the competition.
Hebburn clinch FA Vase with late winnerConcord, meanwhile, had not played since February as the National League South was declared null and void.
Goalkeeper Haigh made some good saves to keep Harrogate at bay in the first half, but the Essex club had a penalty shout waved away when Ryan Charles appeared to be pushed over in the box.
Centre-back Cawley should have scored when he got to Charles’ flick from a Concord long throw, but put the ball over and the favourites then took full control.
Mark Beck was denied from close range and fellow substitute Brendan Kiernan miscued a great headed opportunity from six yards before top scorer Muldoon dribbled past three players and saw his low shot cannon off the post to Harrogate skipper Falkingham, who turned the ball into an empty net.
Concord came closest to forcing extra time when Lewis Simper’s hanging cross was tipped on to the bar by Joe Cracknell – who was fouled in the process – but Weaver’s side deserved their triumph.
Harrogate – 16th in League Two – will only hold the title until 22 May, when Hereford and Hornchurch contest this season’s FA Trophy final.
Line-upsConcord RangersFormation 5-3-2
1Haigh
5Pollock4Roast16Sterling6Cawley3Payne
7Blanchfield8Blackman10Simper
17Reynolds11Charles
1Haigh5Pollock4RoastSubstituted forMartin Sorondoat 83’minutes16Sterling6Cawley3Payne7BlanchfieldSubstituted forWallat 79’minutes8Blackman10Simper17Reynolds11CharlesSubstituted forBabalolaat 59’minutesSubstitutes2McFadden9Wall13Wilks14Martin Sorondo15Search18Hernandez19BabalolaHarrogateFormation 4-4-2
13Cracknell
6Burrell5Smith20Hall3Jones
7Thomson17Kerry4Falkingham28McPake
18Muldoon16Stead
13Cracknell6Burrell5Smith20Hall3JonesBooked at 45minsSubstituted forFallowfieldat 62’minutes7Thomson17Kerry4Falkingham28McPakeSubstituted forKiernanat 67’minutes18Muldoon16SteadSubstituted forBeckat 61’minutesSubstitutes1Belshaw2Fallowfield9Beck14Kiernan22Francis26Lokko27Williams
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