HARRIERS picked up a point from another tussle with a play-off rival thanks to a 1-1 draw with Spennymoor Town.

Elton Ngwatala netted an outrageous second half goal for the reds which was later cancelled out by a Spennymoor penalty to leave level the game which was played at Harrogate Town’s CNG Stadium owing to long-term ground issues at the Moors ground.

Harriers made the journey boosted by the return after suspension of defender Lee Vaughan. The former AFC Telford full-back slotted straight back into the starting eleven at the expense of Kennedy Digie who dropped to the bench. Joel Taylor, meanwhile, came back into the squad after missing several weeks with illness.

If the thought was that this would be a meeting of two sides waning a little with fatigue with Spennymoor playing catch-up on games and Harriers enduring a relentless schedule of matches against promotion contenders, there was little to support such a notion in what was fast-paced encounter throughout.

Through Ironside, McQuilkin and Weeks Harriers made most of the early running, Ngwatala driving wide after 18 minutes with the first real chance of the night, before Spennymoor’s Johnson, six minutes later, nodded over the bar when placed to perhaps do better.

Ball fired at goal for the hosts on 29 minutes, forcing Hall into a smart save, but a few minutes further on, an advancing run from Austin threatened to break the deadlock only for Lawson between the sticks to gather up a ball at the second attempt.

There was a big chance at both ends either side of the break. First there was a chance for the home side as Hall’s driven cross was met by Anderson on the volley – Brandon Hall expertly turning the effort on to the post before catching the follow-up. Then, just ten after the restart, Ironside ought to have fared better than dragging wide on the angle after being played through on goal.

Fresh from netting on his 100th appearance for Harriers in the previous game, Ngwatala went one better with an incredible shot that clipped the bar and crashed into the net – joy very nearly short-lived for Harriers as, within minutes, they’d racked up two or three chances to draw level immediately, the best of them falling to Taylor.

Spennymoor would restore parity, though, with a little under 20 minutes to play, Anderson pulled down in the area by Croasdale to the award of a penalty which Taylor stepped up to convert with what was the last serious chance of the night.

HARRIERS: Hall, L Vaughan, Austin, Croasdale, Horsfall, O’Connor, Weeks, McQuilkin, Ironside, Ngwatala (Taylor 81), Sonupé (Brown 70).

Subs: Waring, Digie, N Vaughan.

Attendance: 415 Referee:

John Matthews