Harrogate Town 1 Redditch United 1

A CRAIG WIlding goal early in the second half earned Redditch a share of the spoils from their trip to north Yorkshire.

But the United frontman could have wrapped up all three points had he managed to tuck away a glorious chance in the closing stages.

Reds' boss Gary Whild included youngster Michael McGrath for his first start in more than five months.

And it was the wily winger who had his side's first chance of the game, a 25-yard effort that was charged down by the home defence.

Hopes of Redditch building on that early chance were left in tatters on 13 minutes when the Yorkshire side scored with their first attack of the game. A mix-up between keeper Richard Anstiss and Ian King gave away a throw-in and the home side then worked the ball to Ben Jones who headed home unchallenged at the far post.

Anstiss then produced a good save to deny Ian Clark while, at the other end, the dangerous Wilding had a long-range effort tipped away by keeper Liam Sutcliffe and then sent another chance wide of the target after evading the offside trap.

The remainder of the half saw chances for both sides. With five minutes of the half to go Carl Palmer's near post header trundled across goal with no-one able to add the finishing touch.

Moments later Danny Holland broke clear but chose to pass rather than shoot and a good opportunity went begging.

It was a similar tale after the restart with both sides going close.

But it was Redditch who found the net on 52 minutes with Wilding pouncing on a defensive blunder before drilling a fierce shot past the stranded Harrogate keeper.

McGrath could have added a second on the hour when he brilliantly controlled Danny Scheppel's fine cross-field pass only to hurry his shot into the side-netting from ten yards with just the keeper blocking his path.

Moments later Palmer forced Sutcliffe into another save with a 25-yard effort which the stopper did well to cling on to.

As the half wore on, the home side upped the tempo in search of a winner.

On 62 minutes Anstiss produced an excellent double save to keep out a Jamie Heard free-kick and then recover in time to block Jones' follow-up.

There were claims for a penalty waved away when Mark Creighton challenged Marc Smith while Jones fired an effort over the crossbar.

Holland then found nothing more than the side-netting with a 20-yard effort while injury time found Jones in space but he was also wide of the target.

With three minutes to go, Wilding had the chance to bag all three points for Reds but, after latching onto a flicked header from strike partner Rory May, he was denied when Sutcliffe saved bravely at his feet.

Harrogate: Sutcliffe, Heard (Ryan 80), Clark, Wood (Mason 75), Stoneman, Ellerker, Jones, Hunter, Smith, Holland, DUNNING (Philpott 75). Subs (unused): Grant, Wood.

Reds: Anstiss 7, King 6, Whitcombe 6, Rea 7, Creighton 6, Field 5 (Doyle 71), Scheppel 6, Palmer 7, WILDING 8, May 6, McGrath 6 (Taylor 71). Subs (unused): Hollis, Murphy.

Referee: Mr A Halliday

Attendance: 432