harrogate town AFC

Harrogate Town 2 – 2 Leyton Orient

14 April 2021

Harrogate Town twice came from behind and missed a penalty as they fought out an exciting draw with the East Londoners.

Simon Weaver made just one change with Jon Stead replacing the injured Mark Beck.

Town produced a terrific first half performance to totally dominate Leyton Orient,but worryingly,once again,couldn’t translate their superiority into goals.

The O’s were first to attack when Dan Kemp’s shot  sailed across the Town goal,but then it was all Town.

A Jack Muldoon break down the right ended with him shooting across goal,before in the space of two minutes both Stead and Lloyd Kerry,scooped over the O’s bar from close range.

Orient keeper,Lawrence Vigouroux,saved from Kerry and Dan Jones while Connor Hall volleyed wide,before Conor Wilkinson chipped wide of James Belshaw’s far post for Orient’s only shot of the first half.

Almost unbelieveably,within a minute of the restart,Town fell behind.

Orient broke up a Town attack and Wilkinson made progress down the right before beating Belshaw with a low shot from the edge of the area.

Unlike recent games,Town fought back strongly and equalised within 12 minutes.

A foul on Josh McPake brought Town a free kick and Dan Jones headed home George Thomson’s delivery,past Vigouroux from close range.

Unfortunately,parity only lasted 5 minutes,after Jones’s back header to Belshaw was intercepted by Danny Johnson who made it 2-1 for the visitors.

Town then spurned a chance to equalise,when Jack Muldoon was brought down inside the area.

The striker took the penalty himself,but Vigouroux chose the right way to dive to block the spot kick.

But with 15 minutes left,Town levelled for the second time,when Hall found McPake on the left and he cut in to shoot into the far corner.

Late strikes from McPake and Kerry were straight at the keeper,while at the other end,Belshaw pulled out a magnificent save to keep out Johnson’s last minute header.

Town,

Belshaw,Burrell,Jones,Smith,Hall,Thomson,Falkingham,Kerry,McPake,Stead,Muldoon.

Unused subs,Cracknell.Fallowfield,Francis,Williams,Andrews.

Scorers,Jones 58,McPake 74.

Booked Smith 15.

Leyton Orient,

Vigouroux,Ling,Happe,McAnuff(Freeman 72),Clay,Wilkinson(Dennis 78),Kemp,Brophy,Akinola,Kyprianou(Abrahams 86),Johnson.

Unused subs,Sargeant,Widdowson,Coulson,Turley.

Scorers,Wilkinson 46,Johnson 63.

Booked,Johnson 55,Wilkinson 56

Referee,Gareth Rhodes.

By John Harrison.

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