Toolstation NCEL Premier Division
Garforth Town 4-4 Harrogate Railway
Garforth Town goalkeeper Peter Lawrie saw red after failing to win the ball from Harrogate Railway striker Ruben Jerome. Picture: Caught Light Photography
Harrogate Railway showed further signs of life after almost snatching a dramatic victory at Garforth Town, who collapsed after goalkeeper Peter Lawrie was sent off when they were leading 3-1.
Garforth were cruising until Lawrie made his exit early in the second half.
The first half went more-or-less to plan for the Miners. Prodigal son Mark Simpson ended a brilliant free-flowing move to place Garforth in front.
Set-pieces were Garforth’s undoing. The writing was on the wall after a series of dangerous Railway corners as the visitors mounted attempts to equalise. So it was no surprise when captain Lincoln Adams leaped like a salmon to head home.
But Garforth responded straightaway to take a 2-1 half-time lead as Simpson raced clear on his own and slotted the ball past former Miners goalkeeper Chris Senior.
Railway looked dead and buried straight after the interval as Dan Coupland scored with a low drive that needed help off the far post.
However, the Miners pressed the self-destruct button and allowed a reborn Railway side, who showed tremendous team spirit, back into it.
The catalyst for that was the dismissal of Lawrie. The former Pickering goalkeeper raced out of his area to stop a through Ruben Jerome. Instead of herding him into the corner, Lawrie needlessly lunged and wiped the striker out. Referee Peter Henger, who didn’t have his best game, probably got it right when he immediately produced his red card.
Left-Back Aiden Kearsley went in goal for Garforth and did admirably, making a few good saves.
But his team did him no favours by dropping deeper and deeper as the half progressed.
Shane Hamilton raised the roof of Railway’s dugout when he brought the scores to 3-2 after shooting through a sea of bodies to score.
More Railway goals were inevitable as apart from Simpson hitting the post, little happened at the other end.
The wind picked up as Railway scored twice in the space of two minutes to take the lead. Curtis McMahon was the key man as his superb in-swingings corner deceived everyone. The first one hit Garforth defender Ryan Donoghue on its way in. The second one flew over Kearsley and straight in.
A victory for Railway would have secured a third straight victory, but it wasn’t to be as Garforth soon equalised. A poor clearance by Senior, who was out of his goal, was picked up by Lee Turner and the in-form attacker struck the ball into the empty net from 25 yards to rescue a point.
The Teams
Garforth Town: Lawrie, McMurrough, Kearsley, Beaston (captain), McCrum, Donoghue, Hamilton, Coupland, Simpson, Turner, Hunter. Subs: Ward, Kitson, Shelton, Robertshaw.
Harrogate Railway: Senior, Alexander, Steele, Hamilton, Adams (captain), Thompson, Eustance, Baravelli, Lancaster, Jerome, McMahon. Subs: Wilson, Williams, Webster, Bugg, Mulvinhill.