Town left Hartlepool’s Suit Direct Arena with a point to show for their efforts after an enthralling 3-3 draw to kick start 2023.
Goals from Alex Pattison and Josh Umerah sent the sides into the break level and set the foundations for a breathless second half.
Mohammed Sylla put his side ahead for the first time within a minute of the restart, but Sam Folarin levelled, only for Mark Shelton to make it 3-2 with a curling effort.
The pick of the goals wouldgo on to secure Town a point as George Thomson struck an absolute rocket from the edge of the area that whistled into the back of the net.
Josh Falkingham missed out for Town with the injury suffered at Bradford on Thursday night, with Pattison taking his place and Warren Burrell taking the armband.
Despite a strong start from the hosts it was Town who took the lead after four minutes as Pattison wasted no time in getting back amongst the goals, latching onto Luke Armstrong’s flick on and producing a typically clinical finish.
Pattison was nearly in again soon after, but this time denied by a block before the chances started to swing the hosts’ way.
Jack Hamilton found himself in space on the edge of the area but was unable to test Pete Jameson, while Callum Cooke’s effort was kept out by the Harrogate stopper.
Armstrong became more and more involved as the half progressed, causing problems with his running of the channels and forcing Ben Killip into a save with his strike from a tight angle.
Hartlepool has threatened less as the half went on, but struck gold in the 45th minute as the lively Umerah collected a clever flick and poked the ball past Jameson at his near post.
The hosts took the lead inside the first minute of the second half when Mark Shelton got forward from full back and delivered a low cross that fell kindly to Sylla to sweep home.
Town responded three minutes later though when Armstrong again turned provider, this time placing a perfectly weighted pass into Folarin’s pass from where the forward calmly found the bottom corner.
Harrogate continued their positive reaction to going behind and could have been ahead within minutes as Killip kept out Jack Muldoon’s finish with his feet, before Pattison rattled the frame of the goal with a well struck attempt.
The momentum would swing again though with Pools regaining the lead in the 63rd minute, Shelton curling into the top corner and leaving Jameson no chance.
Thomson then produced one of the goals of the season in the 72nd minute, striking the ball perfectly into the back of the net from the edge of the area.
From that point both sides gave absolutely everything in search of a winner, with Joe Mattock’s header the closest Town would come to a winner.
The entertainment continued right up until the final whistle, though neither side could find a winning goal.
Town: Jameson, Mattock, Burrell, Thomson, Folarin, Headley, Pattison, Austerfield, Muldoon, Ramsay, Armstrong
Subs not used: Oxley, Welch-Hayes, Wright, Frost, McArdle, Horbury, Ilesanmi
Goals: Pattison 4, Folarin 49, Thomson 72
Booked: Ramsay
Hartlepool: Killip, Shelton, Menayese, Ferguson, Tumilty, Featherstone, Sylla, Cooke (McDonald 80), Grey, Hamilton, Umerah (Missilou 87)
Subs not used: Boyes, Paterson, Stephenson, Darcy, Kitching
Goals: Umerah 45, Sylla 46, Shelton 63
Booked: Umerah
Referee: Marc Edwards
Attendance: 4,566 (180 away)
