Wrexham see two-goal lead disappear as Harrogate hit back for a point

Posted Wednesday, November 29, 2023 by PA

Wrexham squandered a two-goal lead as Dean Cornelius and Anthony O’Connor replies earned spirited Harrogate a 2-2 draw in Sky Bet League Two.

Visiting midfielders Andy Cannon and Elliot Lee, with his 11th goal of the season, had put the Dragons in the ascendancy but Harrogate, without a home win for more than two months, were good value for a point by the final whistle.

Earlier, home goalkeeper Jonathan Mitchell had performed heroics to deny Lee, Cannon and Aaron Hayden before Wrexham forged ahead in the 36th minute when James McLean pulled the ball back from the left byline for Cannon to side-foot inside the far post from 15 yards.

The visitors’ advantage was doubled five minutes later when Harrogate failed to deal with a Ben Tozer long throw from the right and Paul Mullin, lurking at the far post, helped the ball on to Lee, who prodded in from two yards.

Cornelius went on to reduce the deficit on the stroke of half-time when he fired into Arthur Okonkwo’s bottom-right corner from the edge of the box after persistent play by Jack Muldoon but there was still time for Tom O’Connor to rattle a home upright from 30 yards before the break.

Harrogate’s O’Connor then levelled two minutes after the restart when he powered a header past Mark Howard, on for the injured Okonkwo, following George Thomson’s free-kick from the right.

Moments later, home attacker Abraham Odoh fired wide of an inviting net and neither team had a better opportunity to bag maximum points thereafter.