After a performance that merited all three points,Town had to settle for a 1-1 draw as they conceded a late goal at Brunton Park,Carlisle.
Town made one change to the side that lost to Oldham on Tuesday night with Dan Jones returning from injury to replace Mitch Roberts.
An early Town free kick saw Will Smith forage forward to head George Thomson’s delivery over the bar.
However,on eight minutes,Josh Falkingham found Jack Muldoon who flicked on for Jon Stead to round keeper,Paul Farman and slot home for Town’s seemingly first goal.
The celebrations had finished and the Town players were proceeding to the middle for the restart,when it was noticed that the linesman’s flag was raised and the goal was ruled out.
It only took another three minutes for Harrogate to score again when Joe Cracknell’s long goal kick found Thomson who played in Muldoon and his shot from a tight angle trickled down the goal line and went in off the far post.
Town were well on top and a good move between Josh McPake and Thomson ended with the Cumbrian’s defence scrambling the ball away for a corner.
On twenty minutes,Town almost shot themselves in the foot when an under hit Warren Burrell back pass necessitated Cracknell to race of his line to clear the danger.
A trademark long throw from Jones behind the Carlisle defence presented a chance for Muldoon,but he screwed his shot wide of the near post.
The clearly worried Carlisle manager,Chris Beech made a triple substitution at half time,and the Cumbrian’s began to get into the game.
Sub,Ethan Walker began to cause Town problems down their right flank and Burrell had to head over his own bar to clear.
Town still continued to press but couldn’t find an all important second goal .
A good move between Muldoon and Thomson petered out and Stead scuffed his shot at Farman after Muldoon’s pass had opened up Carlisle’s defence.
A Town appeal for a penalty was waved away by Referee Chris Sarginson after McPake was brought down in the area by Aaron Hayden, and then with 15 minutes left,Carlisle equalised.
Carlisle were awarded a free kick on the right and Callum Guy’s delivery into the box was headed past Cracknell by Josh Kayode.
The Cumbrian’s staged a grandstand finish to try to grab a winner to keep themselves in the play off places
And Cracknell made a brave punch to clear a dangerous centre into the area.
As the final whistle approached,Town had an almighty let off when Warren Burrell sliced a clearance against his own crossbar.
It would have been unjust for Town to lose after an excellent performance in an absorbing match.
Carlisle United,
Farman,Tanner,Anderton,Hayden,Riley(Walker 45),Guy,Alessandra(Parick 45),Zanzala(Scott 87)
Mellish,Kayode,Armer(Bennett 45).
Unused subs,Norman,Devine,Toure
Scorer,Kayode 74
Harrogate Town,
Cracknell,Burrell,Jones,Smith,Hall,Thomson,Falkingham,Kerry,McPake,Stead,(Beck 65),Muldoon.
Unused subs,Belshaw,Fallowfield,Kiernan,Francis,Williams.
Scorer,Muldoon (11).
Referee,C Sarginson
By John Harrison.
