Weaver hails display in Harrogate draw

HARROGATE TOWN 2 LEYTON ORIENT 2

SIMON WEAVER was left to reflect on one of Harrogate Town’s best performances since promotion to League Two as the Sulphurites twice came from behind to earn a point against Leyton Orient.

Having dominated the opening half of Tuesday’s League Two clash, the hosts fell behind within 60 seconds of the match restarting when Connor Wilkinson fired home.

Dan Jones nodded home George Thomson’s free-kick to draw Harrogate level just before the hour-mark, ending his team’s six-hour wait for a goal on home soil. Just five minutes later, Jones’s risky header inside his own box gifted Orient striker Danny Johnson an opportunity to make it 2-1 that he did not pass up. Jack Muldoon then missed a 73rd-minute penalty, however Josh McPake came to Town’s rescue with a deserved equaliser.

“It was our best 90-minute performance for some time,” Weaver said. “If you take out the mishaps for their goals and the missed penalty, it’s one of our best performances since we became a Football League club.

“Even though the blips were there it was a terrific sign of character and resolve to twice come from behind.

“Even when we missed the penalty I honestly never believed it wasn’t going to be our night.” Harrogate Town: Belshaw; Burrell, Smith, Hall, Jones; Thomson, Falkingham, Kerry, McPake; Stead, Muldoon. Unused substitutes: Cracknell, Fallowfield, Kiernan, Francis, Williams, Andrews.

Leyton Orient: Vigoroux; Ling; Akinola, Happe, Brophy, Clay, Kyprianou (Abrahams 87); Wilkinson (Dennis 77), McAnuff (Freeman 71), Kemp; Johnson. Unused substitutes: Sargeant, Widdowson, Coulson, Turley. Referee: A Backhouse (Carlisle).