However you look at it, Harrogate Town ought to have lost at Notts County on Saturday. They simply refused to.

At full-time, goalscorer Tom Cursons was gutted only to draw 1-1 with the League Two promotion-chasers.

His mood was purely down to the timing and nature of the equaliser, Will Jarvis falling into the penalty area after Shawn McCoulsky initiated contact outside. By the time Matthew Dennis converted from 12 yards we were three minutes into stoppage time.

"I was trying to warn the fourth official please tell him (referee Scott Oldham) to stay strong and it wasn't to be," said manager Simon Weaver mournfully. "It felt he would eventually (give one) with the noise levels."

It was undeniably harsh on Harrogate and especially striker McCoulsky, who epitomised their workrate by coming on as a 71st-minute substitute to win tackles across the breadth of midfield.

By now, though, they should only feel pride.

Harrogate have history for putting the cat amongst the Magpies – it was County they beat at Wembley in 2020 to reach the Football League – but everything pointed to defeat at Meadow Lane.

Yet it was so miserable – from the grey, wet weather to the pre-match meal – it galvanised a club who revel in upsetting the big boys but lack the heft to back it up week on week.

MAKING A POINT: Harrogate Town manager Simon Weaver was delighted how his team responded to adversity (Image: George Wood/Getty Images)

placeholder image — MAKING A POINT: Harrogate Town manager Simon Weaver was delighted how his team responded to adversity (Image: George Wood/Getty Images)

"We said before the game, these are the types of days you come away and do get a result because it's just that sort of mad experience," smiled Cursons. "You think surely you can't, but they're the days you can."

County would have gone top had they won, having not lost a league game since September. Harrogate, a point above the relegation zone, had only beaten an under-21 side – Newcastle United’s in a Football League Trophy dead rubber – since then, losing their other six matches.

Then there was the teamsheet. With 10 players injured and two on international duty, the Sulphurites switched to a back three, right-back Zico Asore moving inside. Chief creator Ellis Taylor was at left wing-back, midfielder Levi Sutton on the other side. In the second half centre-forward Jack Muldoon, whose flick created Cursons' goal, dropped back to thicken midfield.

But it was more about the bench: goalkeeper Mark Oxley, McCoulsky and Marcus Etherington, a 19-year-old centre-back yet to make his Harrogate debut recalled from his loan at Ossett United.

PROTECTED: James Belshaw only had to make three saves (Image: Tony Johnson)

And that was it, three substitutes to County's seven.

There was a time when only being able to use one – as Harrogate did – or even none was the norm, but the game is played differently now with the Magpies able to re-energise when Town were dead on their feet.

"When we had a meal at a hotel there was a bit of raw chicken left to one side because the food unfortunately wasn't great and the function room was a smallish room but even then there's a spare table because of lack of players," revealed Weaver. "But I said 11's enough for us if you play to the true character of what we've always been about."

And then there was the game.

HARSH OUTCOME: Harrogate Town substitute Shawn McCoulsky was outstanding until his late foul (Image courtesy of Harrogate Town)

Cursons latching onto a loose ball to score against the run of play after 40 minutes made the second half one-way. County had three-quarters of the ball overall, though it felt like more. Apart from Asore's 87th-minute breakout, the second period was played almost exclusively in 30 or so yards in front of James Belshaw.

But the hosts were limited to just 13 shots and Belshaw to three saves – one from close in as Lucas Ness got on the end of a free-kick, a big one from Tyrese Hall and only one in the second period, impressively from Alassana Jatta's volley.

Bryn Morris deflected a Matt Palmer free-kick into the side netting and there were plenty of penalty shouts from either side of the advertising hoardings, but they were pretty desperate.

It was impossible not to admire Harrogate’s determined work.

"I thought the collective effort warranted three points," said Weaver. "There's green shoots of recovery in the squad – not on the injury front but in terms of that.

"It was great the reception from the (away) fans, they know they've got a team of workers. They know that we're going to give our all no matter what.

"We can take it into next week which is another hard game but we've stopped the run.”

With Walsall – second, a point off the top – at Wetherby Road next, things do not get much easier. Given the mentality of this group, that might not be such a bad thing.

Notts County: Roos; Macari, Ness, Bedeau; Tsaroulla (Kouhyar 80), Robertson, Iorpenda (Palmer HT), Bennetts (Dennis 60); Grant (Jarvis 60), Hall; Jatta. Unused substitutes: Platt, Norburn, Griffiths.

Harrogate Town: Belshaw; Asare, O'Connor, Burrell; Taylor, Fox (McCoulsky 71), Morris,. Smith, Sutton; Cursons, Muldoon. Unused substitutes: Oxley, Etherington.

Referee: S Oldham (Lancashire).