The Valiants come from behind to take a point in North Yorkshire thanks to Ryan Edmondson's second half goal which makes it nine unbeaten.
After netting two early goals in our previous game, we came close to doing the same in Harrogate. Ben Garrity had two early chances with his head in the opening quarter of an hour, one from a corner and one from a free-kick but both were off target.
The Valiants were left to regret those missed chances as with Harrogate’s first shot, they opened the scoring on 23 minutes. Alex Pattison, from inside the area, finished off a nice passing move by the hosts which saw Vale go behind.
But we were determined to continue our long unbeaten run. On 35 minutes James Gibbons let fly with a 20-yard free-kick which was saved by Mark Oxley in goal. Six minutes later Harrogate came again, this time with Jack Diamond who took the ball to the edge of the box but his effort went well wide of Thomas Holy’s goal.
Lewis Page was feeling lucky on 43 minutes as he hammered a strike from 40-yards following a Harrogate free-kick but it flew over the bar. Two minutes Joel Cooper also tried an effort from long range after a great first touch which took the ball away from three Town defenders but the shot dragged wide of the post.
The first chance of the second half came Vale’s way. Ten minutes into the second period Tom Pett’s initial shot was blocked after some great work by James Wilson down the right wing. Joel Cooper followed in and had a crack on the edge of the area but it flew over the bar.
Four minutes later, with the Valiants unable to clear the ball, Pattison drove in from the right and took on a shot which was saved easily by Holy. A number of opportunities followed for the hosts on the hour mark. First Diamond was played a through ball into the area but his effort went wide. Then Jack Muldoon forced a save from Holy at point blank range.
Ryan Edmondson thought he had put us level on 66 minutes with a great flicked header into the far corner but the referee decided that Edmondson had pushed his man as he went up for the header so the score remained 1-0 but it did not last.
Three minutes later Gibbons was switched to the left following David Worrall’s arrival to the pitch and his first cross in from the left was perfect as it entered a crowded penalty area. Edmondson once again won the header and it crashed into the net. On 73 minutes Gibbons stood over another free-kick, this one around 25-yards out but it sailed over Harrogate’s bar.
In the final ten minutes Gibbons was hit hard in the penalty area but nothing was given. Our number two played up front for the rest of the game as he was struggling to move and the Valiants had no remaining substitutes. James Wilson almost won the game in stoppage time with a long range effort which dipped and crashed against the bar meaning the game stayed level.
Harrogate Town | Oxley, Page, Falkingham (54’ Fallowfield), W. Smith, Burrell, Thomson, Sheron, Pattison, Muldoon (73’ Diarra), Diamond, Armstrong (70’ Beck)
Subs not used | Cracknell, Kavanagh, Richdards
Port Vale | Holy, Gibbons, Walker (46’ Martin), Hall, N. Smith, Garrity, Wilson, Hussey (67’ Worrall), Pett (67’ Charsley), Edmondson, Cooper
Subs not used | Stone, Hurst, Amoo, Harratt