"We've always fought above our weight and we want to continue doing so but we need characters displaying that passion from minute one," Simon Weaver told The Yorkshire Post before his side's League Two trip to Notts County.

He got it in spades, and although Matthew Dennis’s 93rd-minute penalty to claim a 1-1 draw was heartbreaking for a Harrogate Town who had fought so hard to defend Tom Cursons' opening goal, they could head home with heads held high.

The six-match losing streak against senior opposition – they beat Newcastle United's under-21s in the Football League Trophy in midweek – is over but this was more than that, this was a statement of who they really are.

On a bleak afternoon in the east Midlands, the scoresheet spelt out the task facing the Sulphurites. They have good memories of playing Notts County, the team they beat at Wembley five years ago to book their place in the Football League. Ravaged by injuries, exacerbated by international call-ups to Jacob Slater and Stephen Duke-McKenna, Harrogate could only name three substitutes, one of them goalkeeper Mark Oxley.

But Harrogate would not still be in League Two now if they did not relish a fight against bigger, better resourced clubs.

They spent almost the entire second half defending the lead given to them by Cursons, with centre-forward Shawn McCoulsky doing a 25-minute shift putting out fires wherever he could find them defensively, only to be broken right at the last.

They needed a couple of James Belshaw saves and a dollop of luck to even take a point but no one could begrudge them the latter. They could even consider themselves unfortunate to concede the penalty, a definite McCoulsky foul but one that started and perhaps finished out side the penalty area.

The Magpies took the early initiative, but struggled to turn pressure into chances throughout.

BIG SAVES: James Belshaw made two important stops but Notts County will be frustrated they did not work him more (Image: Tony Johnson)

placeholder image — BIG SAVES: James Belshaw made two important stops but Notts County will be frustrated they did not work him more (Image: Tony Johnson)

Conor Grant had their first moment of note, after nine minutes. Despite Harrogate playing with three central defenders, he found himself in too much space in the penalty area until one of them, Anthony O'Connor, put that right by closing him down.

After their strong start, County invited their visitors on, and Harrogate looked more threatening on the ball, O'Connor heading a free-kick over and Ellis Taylor's miscued cross punched away by Kelle Roos, a goalkeeper who got little support from his own fans.

Scott Robertson did well to create a chance for Keanan Bennetts, only for O'Connor to throw himself in the way of the shot.

After 33 minutes Nick Tsaroulla was able to find Tyrese Hall, another in too much penalty-area space, but Belshaw – recalled to the League Two line-up after playing in the Trophy in midweek – was up to the challenge, making a good save.

GOAL: Harrogate Town's Tom Cursons followed up his midweek brace (Image courtesy of Harrogate Town)

Its value was amplified seven minutes later.

Belshaw had not been the only beneficiary of the midweek Trophy win, Harrogate's first in seven games. Cursons scored his first goal of the season that night, then his second, so when some scrappy County defending served up a loose ball, he was sharply onto it to find the net.

"Useless!" came the cry from the main stand.

But despite the boos at the interval the home fans stayed with their team in a second half when Harrogate frustrated them with their inevitable time-wasting.

So did the referee, turning down two penalty appeals in a matter of seconds, first when Hall's momentum took him head over heels, then when the ball appeared to accidentally hit Fox's arm when the corner came in.

Belshaw saved from Alassana Jaffa after Roberton found his team-mate in the 58th minute, then Matt Palmer screwed a shot wide from outside the area.

Substitute Will Jarvis made a big difference for the Magpies and his volley nearly deflected in off O'Connor before Bryn Morris out a Palmer free-kick into his own side-netting and Jaffa headed a good chance wide.

Harrogate at last threw something back in the 87th minute, central defender Zico Asare carrying the ball into the opposition penalty area only only for Cursons' shot to deflect for a corner.

But it soon came back, and Harrogate finally cracked in stoppage time.

McCoulsky, who was helping helping his defence all across the midfield got the wrong side of Jarvis and having chanced their arm a few times, the hosts at last had a penalty claim go their way

Substitute Dennis sent Belshaw the wrong way but time ran out on his side's hopes of a winner.

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).