Although Harrogate came away from league leaders Bromley with a valuable away point, it was a question of what might have been, because the visitors let slip a three goal lead.
Warren Burrell hadn’t recovered from the injury he received against Portsmouth and so Jack Emmett was given his first start for two months at Hayes Lane.
It appeared that Town had not suffered any backlash from their defeat by Portsmouth, as they dominated the early proceedings with Jack Diamond shooting over the bar and Mark Beck testing keeper, Ryan Huddart.
Town were given a gift goal after 12 minutes when Josh Rees under hit an unnecessary back pass, which allowed Emmett to round Huddart and slot into the empty net.
After some Bromley pressure, Town doubled their lead when Jack Muldoon broke from midfield and found Brendan Kiernan, who shot pass Huddart into the far corner.
Three minutes later Diamond was bundled over in the penalty area by Huddart while he was chasing a ball which was going away from goal and Muldoon drove the resulting spot kick past the keeper’s right hand to make it 3-0.
But Bromley are the league leaders for a good reason and they pulled a goal back on the stroke of half time.
They were awarded a free kick some 20 yards out, and although James Belshaw made a good block from Chris Bush’s effort, Hackett-Fairchild reacted quickly to force in the rebound.
As the game restarted after the break, it looked to be Harrogate’s for the taking, but the hosts had other ideas.
Within three minutes, Bush fired a low shot into the net through a crowded area, as Town failed to clear their lines.
Town then defied a period of home pressure with Belshaw making some fine saves to keep his goal intact.
At the other end of the pitch, Town were still posing a threat and both Kiernan and Josh Falkingham went close to adding to Town’s total.
Unfortunately for Town, on 73 minutes Bromley got, what was probably a deserved equaliser.
A free kick into the box by Bush, was only cleared as far as Frankie Raymond by the Town defence,
And his cross was headed in off the post by Bush.
Town had a late let off when Raymond’s corner was met by full back, Joe Rizzi, but his header flashed narrowly over the bar.
Town,
Belshaw, Fallowfield, G Smith, Falkingham, Emmett(Bradley 77), Beck, Kiernan, Muldoon, Hall, W Smith, Diamond, (Thomson 61).
Unused subs, Taylor, Cracknell, Brown.
Scorers, Emmett 12, Kiernan 37, Muldoon 41(pen).
Booked, Falkingham, Diamond, Kiernan.
Bromley,
Huddart, Kizzi, Holland, Bush, Wood, Edmonds-Green, Raymond, Mekki(Coulson 45), Hackett-Fairchild, Rees, Cheek.
Unused subs, Najla, Bingham, Tanner, Klass.
Scorers, Hackett-Fairchild 45, Bush 48, 73
Booked, Cheek. Att.2177(inc 81 away).
Referee, T Parsons.
