In a last madcap twenty minutes Harrogate scored three times from the penalty spot to force a draw with play off hopefuls, Salford City.
Simon Weaver gave starts to Chris Elliott,James King and Marcus Day and Toby Lees was a late addition to the subs bench.
Town had an early chance when Joe Leesley’s free kick flashed just wide after Jack Emmett had been upended thirty yards out.
Unfortunately, after twenty minutes Town conceded the first of four penalties in the match when Elliott pulled down, Jordan Hulme and Sam Walker made no mistake from the spot.
THe Ammies were forcing the pace and Mike Phenix sidefooted over the bar when well placed, while Elliott had to make a stupendous save to turn Hulme’s drive round the post.
After City’s,John Johnston, had a shot which whistled over the top early in the second half,Harrogate began to hit back.
Billy Priestley had to make a vital block to deny Simon Ainge and Day and Ainge again,both had shots scrambled away.
On seventythree minutes,Johnston appeared to make the game safe for the visitors when he ended a strong crossfield run with a tremendous thirty yard drive which went in via the bar and the upright.
Town almost pulled one back when sub,Tom Platt’s, flick from Leesley’s cross came back off the bar.
With only six minutes of normal time on the clock, Ainge did pull one back from the spot after Warren Burrell and been floored in the area.
However, Town’s joy was shortlived,because within a minute sub, Nick Haughton, broke through the Town defence to chip Elliott for Salford’s third.
Almost immediately,Haughton went from,hero to zero,as he pushed Lewis Turner to present Town with their second penalty. This time, City keeper, Jay Lynch, kept out Ainge’s spot kick, but he was powerless to prevent Ainge hammering in the rebound.
Unbelievably, there was still more drama to come,as deep into stoppage time,Priestley was adjudged to have handled Jon Paul Pittman’s centre and for the fourth time in the match, referee Will Finnie pointed to the spot.
Ainge,once again stepped up to the plate and blasted the ball past Lynch to rescue an unexpected but welcome point for Town.
Town, 1 Elliott 2 Turner 3 Parker, 4 Burrell, 5 Ellis (c), 6 King (Platt 45), 7 Emmett (Colbeck 71), 8 Agnew, 9 Ainge, 10 Day (Pittman 64), 11 Leesley.
Unused subs,16 Lees, 18 Crook. BookingsElliott,Ainge. Man of the Match Leesley,
Scorers,Ainge 84 p,87p,90p Att.1049
Salford
1 Lynch,2 Nottingham, 3 O’Halloran 4 Burton, 5 Grand (c), 6 Priestley, 7 Johnston (Hine 79), 8 Walker, 9 Phenix (Haughton 56), 10 Hulme,11 King (Hine 79).
Unused subs,12 Norris,14 Panayiotou. Bookings O’Halloran,Hulme
Scorers,Walker 20p,Johnston 73,Haughton 85.
