Stevenage suffered a real FA Cup hangover as they were held to a draw at Harrogate Town.

Six days on from their heroics against Aston Villa, they could only manage a 1-1 draw at Wetherby Road, with a poor performance simply adding to the frustrations.

Bright sunshine and heavy rain showers littered the game with a howling wind blowing diagonally across the pitch causing havoc.

Carl Piergianni put them ahead on 60 minutes in spite of everything but Luke Armstrong equalised with 13 minutes remaining with a soft goal from the visitors' point of view.

It was definitely a match and a performance to get over quickly.

A difficult team selection in the end proved straight forward for Steve Evans as he went with the same starting line-up that began at Aston Villa.

The bench was different though as all three of the new signings - Daryl Horgan, Jonathan Tomkinson and Jake Forster-Caskey - were named.

It also contained Villa Park hero Dean Campbell, one of those who would definitely have been considered for a start.

Long before half-time the talk in the press box was how many substitutions were going to be made at the break.

Yes, the wind was having a massive impact but the performances of both teams left a lot to be desired.

Harrogate had the better chances, Armstrong should have done much better when Jake Reeves played a horrible back pass that was well short of Taye Ashby-Hammond.

Fortunately for Reeves, his keeper bailed him out.

Sam Folarin then charged down a Terence Vancooten clearance but frantic defending kept the shots away from the goal.

For Stevenage, there was one cross whipped in low by Jordan Roberts that was just ahead of Luke Norris and Danny Rose but nothing else of note.

The players who ended the half though were given the chance to put things right after the break.

And it was better in the opening stages from the visitors, Luther James-Wildin hitting the side netting after a Luke Norris cross had been flicked on and lost by Pete Jameson in the home goal.

It still wasn't good enough though for the boss and with the hour approaching, he looked to make four changes.

Before he could get the chance though Stevenage were in front.

A corner from the right wasn't cleared and when it rolled to the edge of the six-yard box, Piergianni hooked the ball in on the turn.

The changes did come regardless and one of them, Forster-Caskey, almost doubled the lead after Jameson inexplicably punched a cross away when under no pressure.

The shot though was deflected an inch wide.

Boro were still in control at this point, even if they weren't creating a lot, and so the equaliser came out of nothing.

A cross from the left looped in over the keeper and found Armstrong completely unmarked a yard out.

He made no mistake.

Harrogate almost won it too, a hooked effort in a crowded box rolling behind Ashby-Hammond and needing the sliding foot of the skipper to clear his lines.

They would have been pleased to get out of North Yorkshire but annoyed that they weren't taking the three points.

 

Stevenage: Ashby-Hammond, James-Wildin, Clark, Reeves (Campbell 62), Piergianni, Sweeney, Taylor (Forster-Caskey 62), Norris (Reid 62), Roberts (Horgan 62), Vancooten, Rose.

Subs (not used): Chapman, Bostwick, Tomkinson.

Goal: Piergianni 60

Booked: Roberts 22, Vancooten 63

 

Harrogate Town: Jameson, Mattock, Falkingham, Burrell, Thomson, Grant (Sims 90+2), Folarin (Wright 85), O'Connor, Pattison, McArdle, Armstrong.

Subs (not used): Oxley, Welch-Hayes, Smith, Frost, Horbury.

Goal: Armstrong 77

 

HT: Harrogate Town 0 Stevenage 0

Referee: Adam Herczeg (Jarrow)

Attendance: 2,314