Our young Mariners bowed out of the Youth Alliance Cup knockout stages in a 3-2 loss away at Harrogate Town on Saturday.

Elliot Smith cancelled out an early opener for the hosts, with Ted Sharp levelling the score for the second time after Harrogate took the lead mid-way through the second-half, before the Sulphurites scored a third to progress in the competition.

Neil Woods made two changes to the side that won their last group stage game against Doncaster Rovers last weekend, brining in Fortune Onoh and Elliot Smith for Callum Storr and Charlie Clements.

Town found themselves a goal down within the first minute, when Harrogate scored a rebound from an initial parried shot.

The game began to balance out from then on, with back-and-forth football but neither side creating a great deal of chances on goal.

The young Mariners equalised through Smith after a combination of great work between Carlo Midwinter and Brown allowed the versatile attacker to finish into an empty net to level the score.

The second-half was a much tighter affair, with both keepers making some smart saves, but the hosts took the lead at the halfway point of the second period with a long range effort.

Town responded straight away when Brown’s fantastic skill turned the Harrogate defender and allowed substitute Sharp to tap home for the equaliser.

Harrogate progressed through to the next stage of the competition with a fine strike from the edge of the box in the last minute of the game.

Next up, our young Mariners host Wrexham at Cheapside in the league in a 1pm kick-off on Saturday.

Town: Rogers, Onoh, Graham, Foy, Axcell, Shipstone (Hatton, 60’), Collins, Smith (Sharp, 60’), Midwinter, Brown Rennardson

Unused subs: Carrick, Jalloh, Foster