County reined in
SKY BET LEAGUE TW0
COUNTY ............................ 1 HARROGATE TOWN ....... 1
IN-FORM Harrogate Town held County to a 1-1 draw at Edgeley Park on Saturday, as League Two’s surprise package claimed a deserved point at the home of the league leaders.
An early opener from Dean Cornelius was cancelled out by Connor Lemonheigh Evans on the half-hour – but, despite enjoying the better of the chances for the remainder of the afternoon, the Hatters were held by a resolute Town side to cut County’s lead atop League Two to four points.
After a 1-5 thrashing of relegation-battling Doncaster Rovers a weekend prior, boss Dave Challinor rather unsurprisingly opted for an entirely unchanged starting eleven and bench for the visit of Simon Weaver’s surprise play-off chasers, with deadline day signing Lewis Cass not ready to make the bench on the day.
County fashioned the afternoon’s first opportunity when, with five minutes on the clock, the inform Lemonheigh Evans dispossessed Liam Gibson on the right before squaring to Nick Powell – but the latter’s first-time shot was blocked by Burrell.
At the other end and to the left of goal, eight minutes later, Abraham Odoh got in behind the Hatters’ defence – only to be denied by a last-ditch challenge by the backtracking Macauley Southam-Hales. And, shortly afterwards, Ben Hinchliffe did well to keep out a low Thomson shot after it had taken a deflection.
But these reprieves were short-lived, as, just past the quarter-hour mark, the Sulphurites took the lead. Stockportborn Matty Daly was the provider, courtesy of an excellent spin and low delivery from the left that Dean Cornelius converted from close range.
Fifteen minutes later, and on the half-hour mark, County were level through a moment of quality of their own. Captain Paddy Madden curled a pinpoint through ball into the box for Welshman Macauley Southam-Hales to latch onto and pull back for the lurking Lemonheigh Evans to flick home at the Cheadle End.
From there, The Hatters markedly improved, and Tanto Olaofe connected with Odin Bailey’s cross from the left to head past the near upright, before Bailey also fired beyond the post concerned, as the buoyed-up Hatters applied further pressure.
But their half, and that of Southam-Hales, came to a desperately unlucky end, as the right wingback suffered another in his season’s succession of injuries, and was stretchered off amid fears of a potentially season-ending knee injury.
Drizzle was falling in SK3, as Daly fired beyond the right post during the opening seconds of the new half, before Ibby Touray – who had replaced Southam-Hales just ahead of the break – latched on to a Bailey cross from the left and propelled towards goal a downward header that Belshaw dived to parry.
The Hatters brought on Ryan Croasdale and Antoni Sarcevic together shortly after the hourmark – and the Hatters went close half a dozen
cutter from the right fizzed along the goalmouth and narrowly past the far post.
A further double-substitution, with 14 minutes remaining, saw Myles Hippolyte and – by way of his home bow as a Hatter – Rico Richards introduced to freshen up the attacking endeavour.
And within five minutes, Hippolyte had twice been denied by Belshaw who tipped the substitute’s first shot over and parried away his second.
Croasdale and Richards proceeded to make the County replacements’ presence felt further, unleashing attempts that were blocked in a crowded Harrogate area.
And Akil Wright’s shot in added time was deflected agonisingly shy of the left post to keep honours even and to hand both sides a point.