Harrogate Town receive a 'great boost' as Stephen Duke-McKenna returns from metatarsal injury
Harrogate Town saw another key player return from a long injury lay-off when Stephen Duke-McKenna came off the substitutes’ bench during Friday night’s 1-1 draw with Cheltenham.
The mercurial Sulphurites attacker made his first appearance in almost three months when he replaced Reece Smith on the left wing in the 68th minute of the match.
Duke-McKenna, who contributed six goals and an assist in his first 20 appearances this season, has not played since breaking a metatarsal shortly after coming off the bench during December’s 2-0 home defeat to Accrington.
And with struggling Town – who are the lowest scorers in the whole of League Two - needing every bit of creativity they can get in their quest to beat the drop, manager Simon Weaver described the Guyana international’s recovery from injury as a “great boost.”
The Harrogate boss said: “Dukey was exciting when he entered the fray. He was going forwards and direct and wanting to make something happen.
"You could see his desire, and that lifted the crowd.
“So it was a great boost to have him back. He brings moments, and sometimes we have lacked a little bit of that spark.
"We don’t know what he is going to do – nobody does. But then he might go and blast one in the top corner.
"He has been energetic in training this week and it just felt good to put him on.”
Duke-McKenna was joined on the Town bench on Friday night by striker Mason Bennett and midfielder Levi Sutton, who were also back in Weaver’s squad for the first time in months following their own injury problems.
And with Ellis Taylor, Bobby Faulkner, Anthony O’Connor and Chanse Headman also having returned to fitness of late, the Sulphurites’ treatment room is finally starting to look a little less crowded.
But, goalkeeper Mark Oxley (calf), defenders Lewis Cass (groin) and Tom Bradbury (hamstring), midfielder Ben Fox (ankle), and strikers Jack Muldoon (knee) and Shawn McCoulsky (back) all still remain sidelined.