Lloyd Kerry 'had a feeling' he was going to score in final away game for Harrogate Town

The long-serving midfielder, who is retiring at the end of the season, returned from injury to put the gloss on the Sulphurites' 3-1 League Two success over high-flying Forest Green Rovers at the weekend.

Not long after arriving from the bench as a 63rd-minute substitute, the 33-year-old won a challenge in midfield which set the visitors away on the counter-attack.

Seconds later, the ball eventually broke for Kerry to apply a confident finish inside the hosts' box and wrap up the three points.

"I spoke to the gaffer before the game and he said that he would probably give me 20 or 30 minutes and I just had a weird feeling that I was going to come on and score," the former Sheffield United trainee told the Harrogate Advertiser.

"You know when you just have a feeling that something is going to happen. Well, luckily I was in the right place at the right time and I guess that some things are meant to be.

"Obviously it was a nice to get a goal. It was the best feeling. Scoring a goal is the best feeling anyway, but this one was even more special.

"To come on and score in my last-ever away game, to cap a really good team performance against a top, top team and make it 3-1, it was pretty much the perfect day really. I don't know if it could have gone much better."

Kerry was set up by Jack Muldoon after Luke Armstrong, then Jack Diamond had managed to keep Town's counter-attack alive following a left-wing cross from Alex Pattison.

"I made a tackle near halfway, I got up and was just jogging forward watching the play develop," he added.

"There was a scramble in the box and when the ball came to Mullers [Muldoon] I was screaming at him to pass to me.

"There was obviously a deflection but it has fallen perfectly for me to run on to. It all happened in slow motion. At the time it felt like I had loads of time to make a decision, but when I've watched it back, I didn't really.

"The goalkeeper was coming out so it was like a one-on-one. I felt that the far corner was my best route and so I picked my spot and just concentrated on making a good contact."

Kerry, who is set to bring the curtain down on his 16-year playing career when Town sign off for 2021/22 at home to Sutton United this Saturday, was not even expected to be fit enough to feature against Forest Green due to a niggly injury.

Having made his first start in 10 weeks against Salford City on April 9, he then tweaked his hip in training and subsequently missed clashes with Swindon, Northampton and Carlisle.

Speaking ahead of his team's trip to tackle Rovers, Sulphurites boss Simon Weaver said that it was extremely unlikely that Kerry would be able to play any part down in Gloucestershire, though his player was determined to make himself available for selection.

"I did some running on Tuesday and Thursday with Darren Simpson, our fitness coach. I hadn't kicked a ball by that point, but I felt okay, I felt good," he continued.

"So, I thought that I would try and train with the lads on the way down to Forest Green and I managed to get through that Friday session fine.

"I was thinking more about the Sutton game this Saturday. That's what my focus was on. But after I trained and felt alright, with us having so many injuries, I said to the gaffer that I would be okay for the bench at Forest Green if needed.

"I was pleased to be able to play some part and help the team and obviously it worked out quite well in the end."