Stockport County 0 Harrogate Town 0: Sulphurites draw another blank but end losing run

The Sulphurites failed to find the back of the net for the fifth time in six matches as they played out a goalless draw in Greater Manchester on Saturday afternoon, though they will be relieved to have bagged a first League Two point since they beat Gillingham just over a month ago.

Yet, while a clean-sheet and a draw on the road is nothing to be scoffed at in such an ultra-competitive division, the fact that they have now not registered a goal from open play in more than nine hours of football cannot be ignored.

And Simon Weaver’s men were second best for big chunks of the match, particularly during the opening quarter, a period they were certainly fortunate to emerge from unscathed.

What was a sign of things to come saw Kyle Wooton spin inside the Harrogate penalty area and shoot narrowly wide of the upright as early as the third minute.

Then, a huge scramble following an unconvincing attempt at claiming the ball by visiting custodian Pete Jameson led to an almighty goalmouth scramble, Antoni Sarcevic nodding against the cross-bar before James Brown’s follow-up was blocked on the line.

Jameson got his positioning spot on in the 16th minute as County raided down the right and Wooton pulled the ball back for Sarcevic, whose first-time effort crashed into the chest of the Town stopper.

Just seconds later, Stockport goalkeeper Vit Jaros lost possession some way outside of his box, presenting Luke Armstrong with an empty net to shoot at, though the Sulphurites frontman’s 25-yard strike sailed high and wide of the target.

On 26 minutes, Armstrong met Joe Mattock’s inviting right-wing free-kick at the far post, though his close-range header was straight at Jaros.

But, just as it seemed as if Town were starting to weather the storm, an incisive Stockport attack ended with Ollie Crankshaw lifting an audacious long-range lob over the head of Jameson and against the top of the bar.

The game settled down with half-time approaching and the men from Wetherby Road fashioned another sight of goal shortly before the interval when Alex Pattison drove down the right and delivered for Armstrong, whose finish ended up the wrong side of the front stick.

Clearly unimpressed by what he had seen, Weaver made a double-substitution at the interval, replacing Miles Welch-Hayes and Stephen Dooley with Rory McArdle and Matty Daly.

McArdle’s first real contribution of note was to misjudge a hopeful punt forward by Ryan Johnson, gifting Crankshaw a clear run on goal. Jameson dashed off his line and executed a well-timed sliding tackle on the edge of his area, though the flag had already been raised for offside.

The second period saw Town go on to make more substitutions than they would create goal-scoring opportunities, with Stockport also struggling to reach the same heights in the final third as they did during the opening 45.

Ryan Croasdale bent a strike narrowly wide from outside the box and a dangerous low cross from the right narrowly evaded the waiting Wooton, but things seemed to go a little bit flat for the hosts as the afternoon wore on and the home crowd became gradually more frustrated.

It took until the dying minutes for Town to really threaten themselves, Jack Muldoon breaking and releasing fellow substitute Dior Angus down the left. The ex-Wrexham forward drove towards the byline before pulling the ball back to Armstrong, but his first attempt was blocked and he was eventually crowded out.

Pattison then took a similar route to goal, though his cross-cum-shot was pushed away by Jaros with Angus and Muldoon waiting in space, and the contest ended all-square.

Saturday’s result lifts Harrogate one place and up to 18th in the League Two standings.