Simon Weaver praised Harrogate’s commitment,energy,work ethic and fitness after a hard fought draw with Wrexham.
Joe Leesley returned to Town’s starting line up after injury,while Mark Beck dropped back to the subs bench.
Harrogate were quickest off the blocks and Josh Falkingham placed a twentyfive yarder wide of the upright,but “The Dragons”had the first real chance when,Mike Fondop-Talom rounded Warren Burrell on the right and advanced on goal only to be denied by a brilliant block by James Belshaw.
A series of fouls by the rugged visiting defence kept Town on the attack and Callum Howe headed across goal from a George Thomson free kick only to see Lloyd Kerry’s shot deflected for a corner.The Dragon’s,fast direct play was proving a handful for Town to cope with and Mark Carrington cut in from the left but curled his shot well wide of the upright.
Wrexham’s Luke Summerfield,who had a red card on Saturday rescinded,had a shot deflected for a corner,which skipper Shaun Pearson headed over Town’s bar.
It was Town who finished the half in the ascendancy with Kerry testing Robert Lainton with an effort from distance from which the keeper made a fumbling save.
The ball was spending a lot of time in the air as both sides seemed to bypass midfield,but on the hour an excellent move from the visitors,almost gave them the lead.
Wrexham were attacking the Kop end which contained over seven hundred vocal Welshmen who were creating an electric atmosphere to galvanise their team.
Paul Rutherford got behind Town’s defence on the right and cut the ball across the goal area,but Fondop-Talom slid in and poked the ball past the post.
Belshaw was turning in a “Man of the Match”performance to keep Town in the game and on sixtyfive minutes he made a flying save to keep out Summerfield’s free kick,before soon afterwards, he twice thwarted Fondop-Talom;firstly saving at the near post and then blocking the striker from close range.
Town introduced Beck and Aaron Williams into the fray and they began to finish strongly.
Leesley tried his luck with a trademark curler,but only found the grateful arms of Lainton,while Williams had a shot on the turn which took a deflection for a corner.
The game ended with Jack Muldoon floating in a dangerous cross which Lainton plucked out of the air under his crossbar,but neither side managed to break the deadlock.
One point from the game was not enough to prevent Town from slipping to third in the table as Salford City leapfrogged them by beating Hartlepool.
Town,
Belshaw,Falkingham (c),Howe,Burrell,Thomson(Beck 77),Knowles (Wlliams 73),Leesley,Langmead,Kerry,Muldoon,Kitching.
Unused subs,Cracknell,Agnew,Sutton. Booked Howe.
Town Man of the Match Belshaw. Att 2387 (717 away.)
Wrexham,
Lainton,Roberts,Pearson (c),Summerfield,Fondop-Talom,Carrington,Rutherford (Beavon(90),Maguire-Drew(Holroyd 86),Walker,Wright(Young 70),Lawlor.
Unused subs,Dibble,Deverdics Booked Walker,Fondop-Talom.
Referee P Gibbons
By John Harrison
@JohnHar59276371
