Harrogate Hockey Club Ladies 1st XI come from behind three times to take a point

Bottom of the Vitality Women’s Conference North having lost six of their opening seven matches, Harriet Evans’ team headed into Saturday’s fixture knowing that defeat would leave them with a mountain to climb in their battle to beat the drop.

Determined to build on a strong showing during last weekend’s narrow loss to Durham University 2s, the Ainsty Road outfit started well, and created a number of clear early chances.

High work-rate from forwards Jacs Smith, Holly Oldham and Lexi Ramshay forced the home side into mistakes, and Harrogate looked a real threat in the final third.

But, it was Newcastle who broke the deadlock against the run of play with a goal from a narrow angle.

Undeterred, Harrogate kept pressing and levelled matters when Emma Waud took advantage of a defensive error and netted with a fine flicked effort.

The students then went down the other end and reclaimed the advantage from a short-corner, forcing ‘Gate to chase the game once again.

Superb work from Becky Sagar, Lwle Preston Yates and Lucy Wood in the middle of the park kept the visitors very much in the contest and enabled Smith to level things up at 2-2.

The ‘Gate Ladies kept coming, but with Newcastle also desperate for a third goal, it took some phenomenal saves by Kiera Hayman to keep her team in the game.

But, despite the best efforts of the visiting goalkeeper and defenders Abi Von Tonder, Georgie Turner and Laura Keyser, the students looked to have snatched all three points when they struck again at the death.

Evans and her troops were not beaten, though, and with just seconds remaining, Ramshay cut a calm, collected figure as she casually tapped a reverse-stick finish around the Newcastle custodian and into the net to make the final score 3-3.

Harrogate entertain Bowdon 2s this Saturday (5pm) in their last home fixture ahead of the Christmas break.