Harrogate Town left to rue costly late misses following Hartlepool United defeat

Trailing 2-1 after Luke Armstrong's tidy 21st-minute opener had been cancelled out by excellent finishes from Luke Molyneux and David Ferguson, the Sulphurites fashioned three very good opportunities to equalise during the final quarter-of-an-hour.

Jack Diamond saw a powerful strike from a tight angle well kept out by Pools custodian Ben Killip, but it was substitute Calum Kavanagh who was presented with not one, but two close-range chances to hit the back of the net.

With 75 minutes on the clock the Middlesbrough loanee met Lewis Page's inviting low centre from the left inside the six-yard-box, only to clear the cross-bar when it looked easier to score.

Then, on 83 minutes, 18-year-old Kavanagh missed the target with a far-post header after Simon Power did well to pick him out from close to the right-hand byline.

As a result, Town boss Simon Weaver was understandably left wondering how things might have played out had one those golden opportunities been stuck away.

"Simon came on and put one on a plate for Calum at the far post, but the chance wasn't taken," Harrogate's manager reflected.

"That's the difference between development football where its 'oh, unlucky' and actually being told the truth and 'it's a miss'. That levels it and, if that's scored, we maybe push for a winner from there with the home support behind us.

"He will be thinking that he has got to score them. Whether you're 18 or double that age like Leon Legge, you are judged on what you do, like I am with the result.

"As a centre-forward, you are judged on goals and he's got a lot of self-belief, so he will know that he should have scored."

Town remain 14th in the League Two standings after Saturday's defeat, a result which means they have now won just one of their last seven matches.