Upright denies Bulls deserved late equaliser

There was little to cheer a sparse crowd on the pitch, despite the news that manager Rudy Funk had extended his stay at the club for another two years.

The Bulls might have salvaged a deserved point late on, but man-of-the-match Ollie Fearon was denied by the woodwork.

Jon D’Laryea limped out of the action after just 14 minutes and was replaced by Danny Patterson as both teams tried to get a foothold.

Harrogate squandered a good chance in the 25th minute when David Brown found Stephen Bromley at the far post, but his effort went high and wide.

It looked like it would take a mistake to generate a goal and that came six minutes before half-time.

Paul Beesley collected the ball on the right side of the box for the visitors and, as the AFC defenders backed off, Beesley picked out Bromley.

His first effort was blocked on the line, but fortuitously the ball landed back at the striker’s feet and he made no mistake to put the visitors in front.

The home side were more determined in the second period and dominated possession.

However, at times the possession was laboured and the Bulls lacked quality with the final ball.

Callum Robinson skimm-ed the bar with a powerful shot in the 69th minute and then Lynton Karkach beat Wrigglesworth to a long ball.

He headed towards goal from the edge of the box only to see his effort go a foot wide of the post.

Jimmy Ghaichem ‘s 25-yard low drive was also off target.

Strong penalty appeals when Fearon was struck in the face were waved away.

Then in the 85th minute Fearon showed quality, picking the ball up outside the box.

He turned and unleashed a low drive that beat keeper Wrigglesworth, but crashed back off the post and was hooked away from danger.

AFC Mansfield: White, Plummer, Annable, Allott, Cheeseman, D’Laryea (Patterson 14), Paling (Wilson 65), Cullingworth, Fearon, Karkach, Ghaichem.

Harrogate: Wrigglesworth, Lees, Fisher, Baravelli, Denton, Morris, Robinson, Barrett (Kidd), Brown (Riley), Beesley, Bromley(Hansen).