Harrogate 0 AFC Telford 3

In bringing Adam Proudlock to AFC Telford United, manager Andy Sinton might just have pulled off one of the great transfer coups in non-League history.

Other moves might have made more headlines - witness George Best to Dunstable or Zico to Garforth Town for real jaw-droppers that got tongues wagging in the football world.

But surely no other player has dropped out of the pro game and made such an immediate impact as Proudlock.

Six goals in 10 games after joining on non-contract terms earned him a more permanent deal, which was penned last Thursday.

And the former Wolves and Sheffield Wednesday star straight away started repaying that show of faith by bagging a terrific hat-trick to dump Harrogate out of the FA Trophy.

It was an impressive display from the experienced forward who, at 29, still has plenty of good years ahead of him.

He arrived with the reputation of a wasted talent who had failed to make the most of the terrific opportunities that have been handed to him.

Many doubted he could adapt to playing in the Blue Square Bet North but he has knuckled down and let his goals do the talking.

Harrogate certainly couldn't handle the Wellington-born forward, and he could easily have had one or two more to add to his tally.

He came close to opening the scoring on 13 minutes, hitting the bar after home keeper Mark Cook had parried a Phil Trainer effort.

Moments later Jon Adams also struck the woodwork with a blistering volley before Proudlock had a goal-bound effort blocked.

The visitors had totally bossed the first period so there could be no complaints when the deadlock was finally broken in the 45th minute.

Loan winger Greg Mills had been quiet but he was the provider, releasing Proudlock to fire through Cook's legs from a narrow angle.

Harrogate had offered very little yet they started to assert more influence in the second half.

And they might have been level on 53 minutes, Telford keeper Ryan Young letting a Craig James free-kick slip through his gloved fingers and Carl Rodgers hooking the ball off the line off Jake Picton's follow-up effort.

Wayne Phillips - who had scored Gateshead's winner in the 2009 play-off final against Telford - then set up a great chance for Harrogate skipper Steve Bowey before drilling an effort wide himself.

But the Bucks finally came back to life in the final 15 minutes and the home side had no answer.

Trainer stabbed wide to finish one flowing move before Proudlock doubled the away side's lead with a simple header off Andy Brown's inviting cross from the left flank.

Proudlock hadn't finished there and added the third just four minutes later after a game of pinball in the Harrogate box — Mills first hitting the post and Brown seeing his effort off the rebound blocked by Cook.

Harrogate were beaten by this point, though Jake Picton did hit Young's post in injury-time and Rodgers then had to clear off the line for a second time.

Sinton was quick to ask his players to explain that moment of madness, though it would have made little difference to the end result even if they had conceded.

Indeed, that was the last moment of drama as the whistle blew to end a game that had looked sure to be called off just two days earlier.

Harrogate's groundstaff worked wonders to get it on - but it was Telford who got to celebrate the fruits of their labours.

Match analysis by Chris Hudson