Evo Stik Division One North
Harrogate Railway 1-1 Farsley Celtic
Railway striker Amar Purewal closes down returning Farsley defender James Knowles. Picture: Caught Light Photography
Chris Ovington’s 5th goal of the season moved Harrogate Railway a point closer to safety after a deserved draw against Farsley.
11th placed Farsley looked the better side in the first half and took the lead through the impressive Aiden Savory who found the bottom corner after some clever footwork.
Railway improved after half time however, and equalised eight minutes after the break when Ovington latched on to a short back pass and slotted past Tom Taylor.
Lee Ashforth made one alteration from Saturday’s stoppage time loss at Mossley, replacing Charlie Clamp with Will Peers.
Railway created the first chances of the windy afternoon when Harry Coates headed Lawrance Hunter’s corner into the keeper’s arms, who then made a smart save to beat away Ovington’s fierce shot.
After a quarter of an hour, Farsley began to find their rhythm with Lewis Nightingale pulling the strings and only being let down by a tame finish after a clever one-two on the edge of the box.
Paul Walker was next to try his luck for the division’s fifth highest scorers, but curled a shot over the bar.
The best chance of the afternoon so far then fell to Nightingale who received a pull back from Walker after 28 minutes, but couldn’t keep his finish down from six yards.
Neil Parsley’s men’s pressure then paid off as Savory created space for himself inside the Railway penalty area and found the bottom corner with a low drive.
Farsley’s scorer could have had a second six minutes before the interval when one on one with Chandler Hallwood, but the stopper spread himself to block the finish.
Railway came flying out of the traps in the second half and soon levelled the scores when Ovington was alert enough to intercept an under-hit pass back and roll past Taylor into the net.
After the hour mark, Hallwood sprung to his left to keep out Savory’s finish after the Farsley number nine’s classy first touch had given him a clean view of goal.
Railway came closest to taking the lead through Amar Purewal in the 84th minute as the Darlington loanee bent one towards the bottom right corner that Taylor pushed behind at full stretch.
The game looked to have a winner in it and Savory came inches away from finding the elusive goal as he curled onto the post after Hallwood had to stretch high to keep out Robbie O’Brien’s scuffed shot.
In the end a point apiece was a fair reflection of the afternoon with Farsley having the lions’ share of the first half but Railway looking much improved in the second.
Harrogate Railway: Hallwood, Parkes, Hunter, Low, Lovegreen, Thirkell, Peers, Coates, Purewal, Ovington (Youhill 66), Curtis. Subs unused: Barrett, Bromley, Clamp, Mellor.
Farsley Celtic: Taylor, Hardy, Grant (Knowles 60), Howarth (O’Brien 61), Miller, Clayton, Nightingale, Daly, Walker, Savory, Deacey. Subs unused: Lofthouse, Bunch, Sugden.