Harrogate Town 2 AFC Wimbledon 2: Sulphurites stage dramatic late fightback

Trailing 2-0 with just a minute of the regulation 90 remaining, Luke Armstrong got the Sulphurites back into the contest before Levi Sutton netted a dramatic equaliser with virtually the last kick off the game.

With second-from-bottom Hartlepool United thrashing Grimsby, Simon Weaver’s men looked set to head into the Easter weekend in a seriously precarious position, just a single point above the League Two relegation zone.

In truth, a comeback never really looked on the cards, but one did materialise as the home side kept plugging away in the spring sunshine to secure a point which could well prove crucial in their fight for survival.

They had begun the afternoon steadily enough and forged the first real opening of the game on 20 minutes when Jack Muldoon helped the ball over the top of the Dons’ back-line.

Armstrong ran in behind and showed great strength to hold off two converging defenders, but couldn’t force a finish beyond Nathan Broome, who then recovered well to push behind Sutton’s low effort from the edge of the box.

But having shaded the opening half-an-hour, Town fell behind with 32 minutes on the clock.

The lively Sam Pearson cut in off the right wing and saw a stinging effort blocked by Tom Eastman, though Ethan Chislett was quickest to react inside the box and beat the exposed Mark Oxley.

Falling behind seemed to knock the stuffing out of the hosts and Wimbledon had much the better of the remainder of the first half, Chislett curling a 30-yard free-kick just past the post and Pearson drilling wide.

Town showed no real signs of waking from their slumber as the second period got underway and could have fallen two goals behind on 57 minutes when Pearson raided down the right and almost caught Oxley out at his near post.

The Dons arrived in North Yorkshire having lost seven of their previous nine matches and with just the one win to their name in 13 attempts. But, from the resulting corner, they doubled their advantage and looked to be on course for the most routine of victories.

Oxley got a hand to Lee Brown’s right-wing corner and could only help the ball as far as Chislett, who met it on the edge of the box and found the net with a first-time effort.

With the game seemingly gone, Town seemed to relax and managed to play some better football, substitute Sam Folarin seeing a strike blocked before Armstrong’s bending effort was well saved by Broome.

Kazeem Olaigbe then did superbly to dance his way to the byline and deliver a low ball across the face of goal that was begging to be finished off, but found no takers in yellow and black.

With 89 minutes on the clock and the stands emptying, Olaigbe was at it again, showcasing his nimble feet on the edge of the Wimbledon box but finding a team-mate on this occasion as he slid the ball into the feet of Armstrong, who finished clinically.

The fourth official then displayed six added minutes and the Sulphurites set about trying to get themselves back on terms.

Having asked a few questions of the visiting defence, they were almost undone on the counter-attack with time running out, but Oxley stood up and made a crucial save with his legs to deny substitute Jack Currie one-on-one.

Just seconds later, Town won a corner at the other end, Matty Foulds delivering from the right and Sutton appearing at the far post to take a touch before crashing the ball into the roof of the net.

Friday’s result leaves Harrogate 20th in the table, two points clear of the bottom two with a game in hand on all of the sides below them.