Harrogate Town remaining positive despite suffering late blow in Bromley clash

Jack Diamond fires Harrogate Town into the lead against Bromley. Picture: Matt Kirkham

Simon Weaver’s side’s destiny would have shifted in their own hands had they managed to hang on to a 1-0 lead in Saturday tea-time’s live televised clash with Bromley at the CNG Stadium.

But, a late Alex Bradley own goal cancelled out Jack Diamond’s 47th-minute opener to leave Town four points behind leaders Barrow, who went down 2-0 at home to Notts County earlier on Saturday afternoon.

Had they been able to see out the game and register a sixth straight victory, Harrogate would have moved to within one win of the Bluebirds, whom they still have to play at home during the final weeks of the campaign.

“When you concede any late goal, it’s always disappointing, but we’re a point closer to the top of the league than we were at the start of play,” reflected Town assistant-manager Paul Thirlwell.

“It’s a really exciting time to be at the club, we are down in the sense that we haven’t got the result, but we’ve just said to the lads that even though it feels like a defeat, we’ve got another point on the board, and that’s how we have to look at it.

“It’s a great place to be, so we’ll roll our sleeves up and go again.”

Josh Falkingham came closest to opening the scoring during a largely uneventful first half, the Town skipper's dipping volley thudding against the cross-bar just moments before the interval.

The hosts did however manage a breakthrough two minutes after the resumption, Jack Muldoon's cross eventually breaking for Diamond to fire past Ryan Huddart.

Having kept the deficit at one goal, Bromley then snatched a share of the spoils in the 87th minute when Ryan Coulson's corner was diverted into his own net by substitute Bradley.

"It's not a pleasing goal. I'm sure it doesn't look great when we look back at it, but we kind of took a backwards step," Thirlwell added.

"We had good spells in the game, but we had times where we were maybe a little bit anxious, a bit sloppy.

"We gave too many free-kicks away and allowed too many balls to come into our box, and inevitably, if you do that too much something like that [Bromely's equaliser] can happen."