Lack-lustre Cobblers let lead slip as they are held by struggling Harrogate

The first-half was a familiar tale for Town as their attacking play was bereft of any conviction or quality and that made for a predictably tough watch, with barely anything to excite the hardy travelling supporters at Wetherby Road.

The game briefly came to life with two goals within five minutes of the restart as Luke Armstrong cancelled out Mitch Pinnock’s deflected strike, but Cobblers remained flat and disjointed and if anything fourth-from-bottom Harrogate looked more likely to win it in the closing stages.

Injuries are clearly a factor for Town at the moment but there was still more quality on the pitch than the smattering of long-range shots and half chances that they mustered in a tepid attacking display on the road.

Manager Jon Brady made three changes from the weekend, two of which were enforced as Shaun McWilliams and Tyler Magloire missed out due to injury.

In came Aaron McGowan and Will Hondermarck, and there was a return for Pinnock who replaced Harvey Lintott.

Cobblers also went back to a four-man defence and they started on the front foot in Yorkshire with Louis Appéré, Sam Hoskins and Marc Leonard all having a go in the early stages, although none of those efforts troubled the home goal.

Unfortunately, that strong start proved a false down and the first-half turned scruffy with no flow or rhythm to either side’s play and goalmouth action at a premium.

Town were marginally the more threatening side, Aaron McGowan blazing one speculative shot over, but the best chance of the half fell to the hosts 10 minutes before half-time when Danny Grant glanced a free header wide of the far post.

After such a poor first-half, the game spluttered into life with two goals in the opening five minutes of the second period.

Cobblers struck first when Marc Leonard pinched the ball back near halfway, passed to Pinnock and his shot from 20 yards deflected off a defender and squirmed into the bottom corner.

It felt as if that was the break which the visitors needed, but they failed to make the most of it and conceded barely two minutes later.

Harrogate worked the ball down the right before it was squared to Armstrong in the middle and his low shot beat a diving Tom King.

Brady sent on D’Margio Wright-Phillips and Tete Yengi to try and inject some life into his faltering attack but it had the opposite effect with Anthony O’Connor’s close-range header almost giving an improving Harrogate the lead.

Despite their significantly higher league position, Cobblers never really threatened a winner and a couple more corners nearly saw Harrogate pinch victory but in the end both teams would have to settle for a share of the spoils.

Match facts

Harrogate: Oxley, Falkingham ©, Eastman, Foulds, Sims, Sutton, O’Connor, Grant, Muldoon, Olaigbe, Armstrong

Subs not used: Giles, Burrell, Thomson, Angus, Forlarin, McArdle, Daily

Cobblers: King, McGowan, Sherring, Guthrie ©, Koiki, Sowerby, Leonard (Eppiah 85), Hondermarck (Wright-Phillips 63), Pinnock, Hoskins, Appéré (Yengi 63)

Subs not used: Burge, Dyche, Lintott, Haynes

Referee: Thomas Parsons

Attendance: 2,120