Forest Green Rovers staged a spirited second-half comeback to earn a 2-2 draw with Harrogate Town at the New Lawn on Saturday, overturning a two-goal halftime deficit with a quickfire double to secure a valuable National League point. The result leaves the club 15th in the National League, with 18 points from a record of five wins, three draws and five losses after 13 games.
Neil Kengni gave the hosts an early lead, finishing from T. Campbell's pass in the seventh minute. Kyle Kelly then doubled the advantage deep into first-half stoppage time, converting after Bryan Ifeanyi's shot was deflected. Harrogate had threatened further, hitting the woodwork twice before the break through Ellis Taylor and a Luke McNicholas punch from a corner. The visitors also saw a strong penalty appeal waved away early on when a cross appeared to strike a defender's arm.
Second-Half Surge
The complexion of the match changed completely after the interval. Forest Green came out with far greater intent and halved the deficit within six minutes of the restart. Lewis Payne found the net in the 52nd minute to make it 2-1. Just four minutes later, Ellis Taylor struck for the visitors, finishing after superb work by Josh Hmami, to level the scores.
The home side pushed for a winner in the final half-hour. Jayden Clarke forced a fine save from visiting goalkeeper Luke Hutchinson, who tipped a late free-kick onto the post. The draw leaves Forest Green 15th in the National League table with 18 points from 13 matches. Their recent form shows two wins, two draws and a loss from their last five outings, a sequence that includes a 2-0 win over Eastleigh and a 1-0 defeat to Barrow. For the season, they have scored 21 goals and conceded 22, leaving them 23 points behind league leaders Boreham Wood.
Several substitutions were made as both managers sought to influence the game, with Ewing and Mellor entering the fray for Forest Green. The match also saw four yellow cards, with A. Baptiste, L. Cass, and W. Burrell booked for Harrogate and J. Berry cautioned for the hosts. Before that, they turn their attention to an FA Cup tie against Luton Town next Saturday.
