Harrogate Town 2 – 2 Kidderminster Harriers

6 December 2017

A goal deep into stoppage time denied Harrogate all three points in an exciting match at the CNG Stadium.

For Town,Simon Ainge and Ellis Hudson made the starting line up,in place of Mark Beck and Joe Leesley.

The Harriers were first into the attack with skipper,Ryan Croasdale, testing James Belshaw with an early ground shot,before Ainge replied with a shot that skimmed across the face of the visitor’s goal.

Although the Harriers looked comfortable on the ball and matched Town for possession,it was Town who looked more dangerous in front of goal.
The visitors had to make a last ditch clearance off the line, as Ainge managed to squeeze a shot under Brandon Hall,after he had been sent through by Jordan Thewlis and George Thomson shot just wide, with the opposition complaining that the game should have been stopped, with James McQuilkan lying injured after a collision with Liam Agnew.
On the half hour,McQuilkan tried his luck with a twentyfive yard drive which Belshaw tipped over the bar,while at the other end Thewlis almost broke the deadlock when he hit the outside of the post.

However,with the last action of the half,Town took the lead when a Josh Falkingham free kick ballooned high into the night sky and Terry Kennedy headed into the corner of the net.

An early second half header by Warren Burrell was kept out by the visiting defence,before Thomson shot straight at Hall.

But it was the Harriers who began to take control,with Sam Austin shooting at Belshaw and Declan Weeks, hitting a fortyfive yard lob which bounced off the home crossbar.

Unfortunately for Town,the goal the Kiddies threatened,arrived after sixtyeight minutes,when Joe Ironside met a cross from the right and headed in from close range.

Things began to look a bit ominous for Town as Kidderminster,who arguably are the best footballing side to have visited Wetherby Road this season began to look more and more dangerous.

In the final twenty minutes,Frank Mulhern and Louie Swain replaced Thewlis and Ben Parker,which seemed to give Town a new lease of life.

Thomson shot over the top and Mulhern charged down a back pass which rebounded wide of the post,but as the game reached added time,Ainge appeared to have won it for Town ,when he rose highest at the far post to head in Falkingham’s free kick.
There was still a twist in the tail,however,when in the final minute of stoppage time Ironside latched onto a rebound and lashed a shot into the top corner to give the Harriers a share of the spoils.

This point means that Town regained second place from Brackley.
Town,
Belshaw,Vann,Parker(Swain 76),Falkingham,Kennedy,Burrell,Thomson,Ainge(c),Thewlis(Mulhern 76),Hudson.
Unused subs,O’Hanlon,Cracknell,Barr       Bookings Falkingham,Agnew              Att.854
Scorers,Kennedy 45,Ainge 90.
Kidderminster Harriers,
Hall,Williams(Taylor50),Austin,Croasdale(c),Horsfall,O’Connor,Weeks(Sonuse 64),McQuilkan),Ironside,Ngwatala(Klukowski 78),Brown.
Unused subs,Wright,Truelove.
Scorer,Ironside 68,90+4                      Referee B Lamb
By John Harrison.

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