Harrogate Town's George Thomson able to enjoy special moment as he nets stunning goal during Eastleigh FC success

The scorer of more than 50 goals in that time, he was at it almost every other week during a 2023/24 campaign which saw him notch on no fewer than 18 occasions, while also contributing eight assists.

But, having picked up an achilles problem in the very first game of the following season, the 34-year-old missed 16 months of football as he suffered what can only be described as an injury nightmare.

Following a number of surgeries during what was a seriously long road to recovery, Thomson eventually made his comeback on New Year’s Day.

He went on to play a further 14 games last term as the Sulphurites were relegated from League Two, and had featured nine times in 2026/27 prior to Saturday’s home showdown with Eastleigh.

Just as was the case this weekend, Thomson has made the vast majority of those more recent appearances from the substitutes’ bench, but – at the 25th time of asking – he finally managed to get the goal he has been craving.

Pouncing upon a loose defensive header during the last minute of the regulation 90, the ex-Nottingham Forest trainee drove forward with purpose then took aim from 25 yards out, sending a stunning strike fizzing into the top corner of the away goal to wrap up a 4-1 success.

The grin that followed could hardly have been wider. The overriding emotion for the man himself was simply one of relief.

“I’ll be honest, it’s a relief to see one finally go in after all this time and my injury and everything else,” he told the Harrogate Advertiser.

"It was a really tough period for me while I was out injured, and there were times when I thought I wouldn’t play again. So, it is moments like this that remind me why I did push through and made sure I came out the other side.

"There were times while I was out injured where I made myself watch highlights of the year before and reminded myself of the highs you can have while playing footy.

"This is what I love to do, and moments like this make it all worthwhile. I love scoring, so I’ve wanted this goal since I first came back.

“So, it is just nice to get that first one out of the way. It’s important because it will give me a bit more belief.”

Thomson’s previous competitive goal came during a 5-3 home loss to MK Dons on the penultimate weekend of the 2023/24 season – some 29 months ago.

Understandably given all he has been through, and how long it has been since he was last able to enjoy the feeling of scoring, he admitted that there was only ever one thought in his mind when the ball broke to him in the dying moments of Saturday’s contest.

"The sun was in my eyes so I didn’t see the run of Ellis [Taylor] to my left,” Thomson joked.

"It was one of them where I knew that the centre-half was back-pedalling, so I knew that if I got myself in front of him, then unless he headed it wide then the ball was coming straight to me.

"The space opened up in front of me, and when that happens, I do like to swing at one like that, so I did.”