Harrogate Hockey Club Ladies 1st XI's fine run goes on as league leaders are held

Harriet Evans’ second-half strike earned Helen Goacher’s team a 1-1 draw at Ainsty Road on Saturday afternoon, a result which keeps them seventh in the Vitality Women’s Conference North standings.

In the reverse fixture, a weakened Harrogate team had suffered a heavy 5-1 defeat, but with their most senior players all available at the weekend, they were better equipped to meet their opponents’ physical approach head on.

The hosts began well and enjoyed more and more possession as the game went on. Evans, Lucy Wood, Rebecca Sagar and skipper Goacher led their younger team-mates by example and were uncompromising in their challenges, giving as good as they got.

Harrogate’s pressure went unrewarded, however, with few clear-cut chances created, while at the other end, player of the match Abi Van Tonder had to make several crucial tackles to help keep the visitors at bay, ably assisted by Coco Richardson.

The match was scoreless at half-time, but Pendle came out fired up for the second half and scored within two minutes of the resumption as a shot deflected off a Harrogate stick, wrong-footing goalkeeper Hayman.

Undeterred, ‘Gate continued to move the ball around in tidy fashion, using the full width of the pitch, and forcing a series of short-corners.

This spell of pressure was eventually rewarded with time running out as a slick passing move ended with Evans firing home a deserved equaliser from close range.

Harrogate travel to Newcastle University this Saturday.