Harrogate Town 0 Boreham Wood 0: At least we're creating the chances - Brendan Kiernan

Simon Weaver’s side failed to score for the fifth time in 11 National League outings, despite having a number of decent opportunities to break the deadlock at the CNG Stadium.

Sam Jones, Kiernan himself and substitute Mark Beck all missed the target when well-placed inside the opposition box as Town dropped to 18th in the National League standings.

“We’re a little bit disappointed. When you look at the chances we had I feel like we could have capitalised on them. It could have been three points,” Kiernan reflected.

“It would be more worrying if we weren’t creating the chances and getting in those areas, we just need that killer touch.

“It’s good to know that we are opening teams up, especially if they are just sitting in and basically just asking us to break them down,

“We’re getting in positions, it’s just that killer touch. Once we get there it could be two, three or four.”

The game was just three minutes old when Sam Jones won Town a corner with a strike from outside the box, then powered a free header over the cross-bar from the resulting set-piece.

Alex Bradley and Kiernan then went close with strikes from just inside the away box as the hosts’ really bright start continued.

Somewhat against the run of play, a blatant handball near halfway allowed Wood’s Kieran Murtagh to send Tyrone Marsh scampering down the right and in on goal, James Belshaw making an important near-post block with his feet.

Undeterred, Town continued to press and Warren Burrell was thwarted by a last-ditch Tom Champion tackle, while Jack Muldoon also had a strike blocked before Belshaw was forced into an awkward parry by Marsh at the other end.

Connor Hall saw a far-post header clawed away by David Gregory shortly after the resumption, though Town did not begin the second period with enough urgency and the game began to drift.

Murtagh should have put Wood in front from a 67th-minute Sorba Thomas cross, however Belshaw produced a fine save to keep out his close-range header at point-blank range.

The last 20 minutes saw Town up the tempo and substitute Beck did well to dig out a cross from close to the byline, Kiernan meeting it first-time but unable to divert the ball on target from three yards out.

Kiernan then returned the favour from the opposite flank, coming inside off the right and dinking a pass onto the head of Beck, who nodded over the advancing Gregory, but also over the bar.

With Wood resorting to cynical fouls and time-wasting tactics as Town looked to force the issue in the closing stages, the visitors appeared content to settle for a point.

But they could have snatched all three in stoppage-time when Justin Shaibu was presented with a clear sight of Belshaw’s goal after Bradley lost possession in midfield, however the

Harrogate stopper pulled off another important save to preserve his clean-sheet.

“It was frustrating, personally,” Kiernan said if his own chance to win the game.

“I thought, ‘sprint to get there, just try and get something on it and get good contact on it.’

“It came at me so fast, but on another day it goes in.

“I think he [Beck] did everything right. He’s tried to take everything off it, the keeper has come out and it’s just gone over. Credit to him for being in that position.

“We were talking about it afterwards. He’s given me one, I’ve given him one. It just wasn’t to be.”