Harrogate Town 0 Port Vale 1: Plucky Sulphurites edged out by League Two leaders

The Sulphurites started the game brightly and ended it in the ascendancy, though Ruari Paton’s superb 54th-minute free-kick ultimately settled a contest that the visiting team bossed for a long period.

Darren Moore’s men arrived in North Yorkshire unbeaten in eight league outings and having won each of their last three – and they looked every bit a side capable of going on to achieve automatic promotion.

But, Town can be proud of their efforts, and if they can replicate the same kind of committed and hard-working display on a regular basis, will undoubtedly go on to win more games than they lose between now and the end of the season.

"This is a powerful Port Vale team, who I’m sure will be title contenders and go up automatically,” Harrogate boss Simon Weaver said.

"I think that they are as strong a team as I’ve come across since we were promoted to the Football League, but credit has to go to our players because they kept their shape, worked hard and showed good intensity to win the ball back.

"There were moments where we weren’t quite in sync, and they are the moments that we have to learn from, but I think that tonight was evidence that we are learning.

"We stayed in the game and there were moments where, if we had capitalised on them, it could have been a different score-line.

"What we didn’t want was a bloody nose. We’ve had a couple of them, but the players have come out of this game with a lot of credit, and should also take a lot of confidence from it.”

The game began at a frantic pace, Toby Sims’ missing the target with his head when provided with a great early sight of goal by Matty Foulds’ inviting left-wing cross.

Foulds was then required to make a fine last-ditch block inside his own box to deny Tom Sang the opening goal after he was released by the marauding Ronan Curtis.

Vale really ought to have taken the lead on 12 minutes, Ben Heneghan meeting Conor Grant’s corner with a towering header, only to be denied by a stunning reaction stop from James Belshaw, who flew to his right and somehow turned the ball onto the cross-bar.

Town were next to threaten, Stephen Dooley’s excellent sweeping pass out to the right flank picking out Ellis Taylor, who cut inside onto his left foot and tested Connor Ripley with a curling effort.

Jack Muldoon was then high and wide with a couple of ambitious attempts, but as the 25-minute mark approached, what had been a genuinely end-to-end contest up until that point began to swing the way of the Valiants.

The longer the half went on, the more dominant the visitors became, bossing possession and keeping Weaver’s men trapped deep inside their own territory.

Town, to their credit, defended their penalty area superbly, winning numerous headers and making a host of blocks, with the imperious Anthony O’Connor very much to the fore.

As a result, clear-cut chances were at a premium as far as Vale were concerned, Belshaw diving bravely at the feet of Lorent Tolaj inside his six-yard box following a scramble before Paton nodded Sang’s cross well wide of the mark.

One Harrogate breakaway saw Matty Daly counter from inside his own half and make it all the way to the away box, only to then shoot tamely at Ripley, but otherwise, the Sulphurites found themselves very much with their backs against the wall.

The second period began as the first had ended, with the league leaders in the ascendancy and Town having to work extremely hard just to stay in the match.

Sang was narrowly off target with a low strike from 20 yards out, but with 54 minutes on the clock Vale eventually made the breakthrough.

Jasper Moon fouled Tolaj just outside the Harrogate area, and Paton stepped up to whip a gorgeous free-kick over the wall and inside Belshaw’s near post.

With the travelling supporters in full voice, Paton had the chance to make it 2-0 just moments later, cutting in off the left and past the wrong-footed O’Connor before shooting straight into the gloves of Belshaw.

Town eventually managed to get more of a foothold in the game and, with 69 minutes played, Taylor drove infield from the right wing and tested Ripley once again with another left-footed strike from distance.

With time ticking away and the Valiants seemingly happy to start dropping deeper, Town began to enjoy more possession and started zipping the ball around at a useful pace.

Having won his team a corner down their left, live-wire substitute Stephen Duke-McKenna delivered a great ball that Sam Folarin met with his head, but could not guide inside the far upright.

A corner at the other end then saw Ben Garrity prevented from stabbing home the visitors‘ second by Moon’s crucial block.

Town’s best opportunity to draw level then came and went in the 88th minute, Moon diverting Taylor’s miscued shot over the bar after Duke McKenna’s free-kick was only partially cleared.

On his team’s strong finish to the contest, Weaver added: “We made changes to freshen it up and the substitutes made a good impression, all of them.

"They got us a little bit more on the front foot, and of course Port Vale were protecting the lead and maybe not playing as expansive a game.

"I thought that the Kop reacted to that, and got behind the players, which is what we want at home. It takes the supporters as well as the ability of the players to make this a hard place to come and to help get the ball over the line.”

Defeat sees Harrogate drop two places to 16th in the League Two standings, though they remain seven points clear of the relegation zone.