Ryan Sharrocks in battle for Harrogate Railway. Picture: Caught Light Photography
Harrogate Railway and Spennymoor Town will battle it out again on Tuesday night after a goal-less draw in the Emirates FA Cup Preliminary Round tie at Station View,
Jack Stockdill came closest to scoring for the hosts before Tom Goodwin was called into action multiple times in the second half, impressively denying Joseph Tait and Andrew Stephenson.
Railway needed Lawrence Hunter’s 84th minute goal line clearance to secure a replay with Spennymoor, meaning the scheduled trip to Clitheroe is postponed.
Lee Ashforth made four changes to his Railway side from Monday’s defeat to Scarborough and handed Nathanial Pells a debut in the heart of defence.
In the first notable action, Hunter set Stephen Bromley in behind the Spennymoor defence, although just as the striker looked to have got the beating of his man, the covering defender brought him down with the referee adjudging Bromley to have committed a foul.
After Andrew Stephenson shot high and wide at the Railway goal, Spennymoor produced their best chance of the half when Anthony Peacock’s cross was headed past the post by Liam Henderson.
Railway almost took the lead after 34 minutes when Ryan Sharrocks clipped a ball into the path of Stockdill, who burst through the defence and fired at goal only for Daniel Lowson to get his torso in the way of the shot.
Sharrocks continued to look lively on the right wing and almost found Bromley at the back post after his attempted square ball had been blocked, however the winger’s delivery was marginally too heavy.
Railway’s best chance came four minutes before the break when Jordan Outerbridge lofted a ball over the visitors’ defence for Charlie Clamp to run on to, the midfielder opened his body up looking to stroke into the top right corner, but his attempt missed the target.
Jason Ainsley’s men also had chances before the break as James Risbrough volleyed wide of the left post and Tait missed the same post by a shorter distance deep into first half stoppage time.
Tait was then denied in the early stages of the second half as a deep ball was delivered from a corner and met with an acrobatic attempt that Goodwin did well to keep out.
Spennymoor were enjoying a spell of pressure around the hour mark and Railway needed a couple of vital blocks from Hunter to prevent Goodwin being tested.
Goodwin was needed a minute later, however, as the 19-year-old sprung to his left to turn Stephenson’s powerful shot round the post.
Spennymoor’s number seven was in the thick of the action again with 20 minutes to go as he made a nuisance of himself to Railway’s back line, evading the challenge of Simon Parkes and hitting a bobbling ball wide.
Arguably Spennymoor’s biggest chance fell to Henderson, the man who had given his team a point when the two sides met 12 days ago, but the striker couldn’t find the net on this occasion as his close range header was too weak and caught comfortably.
The defining moment in the contest came in the 84th minute as Hunter came to Railway’s rescue.
Substitute Gavin Cogdon broke through the Railway back line and struck a low shot that clipped Goodwin and looked to be landing in the back of the net, only for Hunter to sprint back to the line and save a certain goal by heading over.
Hunter burst up the left flank just minutes later and fired a ferocious effort towards goal to remind Spennymoor that Railway were still very much in the contest.
With Spennymoor piling bodies forward deep into extra time, Railway’s new centre-back pairing of Alex Low and Pells held firm making a series of crucial blocks.
Harrogate Railway: Goodwin, Parkes, Hunter, Pells, Thirkell, Low, Sharrocks, Stockdill (Ibrahimi 58), Bromley (Dhesi 56), Clamp, Outerbridge. Subs unused: Kidd, Brown, Morris.
Spennymoor Town: Lowson, Griffiths, Mason, Dodds (Kerr 80), Tait, Risbrough, Stephenson, Henry, Henderson, Fisher (Cogdon), Peacock (Keitheley). Subs unused: Johnson, Robinson.
Referee: Wayne Grunnill
Attendance: 172
Match report by Hal Boxhall-Dockree from Harrogate Railway.