Harrogate went down 3-1 at the Shay, despite taking a 20th minute lead. The early exchanges were even,with Richard Pell heading Paul Heckingbottom’s long throw at Simon Eastwood and the host’s Liam Hogan heading narrowly wide from Danny Lowe’s free kick.
Danny Holland was inches wide from Ryan Toulson’s cross and another ex Townie , James Dean. set up Simon Garner who was inches over.
Laurie Wilson almost gave Harrogate a tenth minute lead when he dispossessed Hogan, saw Eastwood off his line and hit a 35 yarder against the angle.
Eastwood , who was looking shaky in the home goal dropped a Craig Radcliffe centre,but Paul Brayson couldn’t take advantage.
Half way through the half, a flowing move featuring several Harrogate players, won a corner.
Halifax couldn’t deal with Radcliffe’s near post cross and Toulson’s clearance hit Chib Chilaka and rebounded into the net to put Town in front.
Town were finding it hard to contain the lively Halifax attack and it was no surprise when they equalised.
On the half hour, Scott Macmanus broke down the left and his low cross was driven home by new loan signing from Scunthorpe,Aaron Wint.
Two minutes later, Alan White failed to intercept a Macmanus through ball, and the prolific Holland raced clear to beat Mark Cook.
Halifax then almost gave Town a bizarre equaliser, when Toulson’s misdirected pass to Eastwood found Brayson, but the keeper saved the day with a one-handed save and Rob Youhill could only hit his follow up shot,just wide of the post.
The second half opened with Wilson racing forward and powering over from 25 yards.
A timely tackle by Hogan denied Brayson,but Halifax began to turn the screw.
An overhead kick from Dean went wide and Cook saved well from Holland after a White miskick.
With less then fifteen minutes left, Macmanus picked up Tom Baker’s pass,broke down the left and whipped in a wicked cross behind the visiting defence, which Dean swept home, to make the game safe for the Shaymen.
Cook saved well from Halifax sub, Jamie Rainford, but it was an Harrogate sub Will Turl, who deep in stoppage time, out jumped Eastwood, only to see his header from White’s cross sail wide.
Town 1 Cook 2 Picton (Elam 62) 3 Heckingbottom ( Bloomer 62) 4 Wilson 5 Pell 6 White (c) 7 Youhill 8 Bolland 9 Brayson 10 Chilaka (Turl 68) 11 Radcliffe.
Unused subs 17 Meechan 18 Emmett
Scorer Chilaka
Bookings Elam
