Josh Gordon earns Walsall a point at Harrogate

Posted Sunday, September 20, 2020 by PA

Josh Gordon’s late equaliser denied Harrogate back-to-back wins as they had to settle for a point in a 2-2 draw against Walsall.

Simon Weaver’s men, playing in the Football League for the first time, recovered from conceding an early Rory Holden goal to lead at half-time courtesy of Aaron Martin and Jack Muldoon strikes.

But Gordon earned a share of the spoils when he followed up to net after Joe Cracknell had saved his 81st-minute penalty.

Walsall forged ahead in the fourth minute when Holden emphatically found Cracknell’s bottom-right corner from 20 yards after Alfie Bates picked him out with a low driven corner from the right.

The hosts almost hit back immediately but Martin’s header crashed off the top of the visitors’ crossbar.

The former Guiseley striker was not to be denied, though, and he bundled the ball over the line from two yards after an excellent overlapping run down the right by Ryan Fallowfield in the 32nd minute.

Harrogate then went in front after 42 minutes when Muldoon prodded home from five yards after Mark Beck’s far-post downward header from a Connor Hall free-kick.

Just past the hour, Elijah Adebayo seized on a Josh Falkingham error to race clear on goal but could only hit the outside of an upright after rounding Cracknell.

But the visitors went on to equalise after Holden was pulled down in the penalty box by Hall.

Cracknell dived low to his right to save Gordon’s weak spot-kick, but the Walsall midfielder’s blushes were spared when he followed up to side-foot home from eight yards.

The visitors were then reduced to 10 men in the 86th minute when Danny Guthrie, who had earlier been cautioned for a crunching challenge on Muldoon, received his second yellow card for a late challenge on Lloyd Kerry.