Harrogate boss Simon Weaver hailed veteran striker Jack Muldoon’s “dedication to his profession” after his first goal in open play for 30 games secured a 1-1 draw against Swindon.
Other than an opening-day penalty at Doncaster, Muldoon had not netted since February but ended that barren run in emphatic fashion, with a belting edge-of-the-box finish.
The 34-year-old’s equaliser came after on-loan Bradford striker Jake Young had grabbed his 13th goal of the season.
A pleased Weaver said: “The goal was good on the eye and Jack Muldoon, at 34, was like a man possessed. He showed a real dedication to his profession because, seconds after scoring our equaliser, he was back making tackles in the full-back position.”
The point ended a run of five straight defeats for the Sulphurites at Wetherby Road – a sequence that has coincided with four consecutive league wins on the road – with Weaver admitting: “Everyone keeps asking me about the massive contrast between our home and away form, even my postman!
“But, sometimes you can’t read too much into these things. You’ve just got to instil belief into the players because we have got a good group here and a lot of spirit and I enjoyed our performance in this game.
“We were frustrated not to win, but we kept attacking and pressing and the stats showed we were on top. It was just that final third where we needed a bit more.
“We need to score more goals, but we can look forward with optimism because we were getting into that final third with some very good play and the equaliser came at the end of a really good passing move.”
The draw also ended a five-game losing streak for Swindon, but manager Mike Flynn argued that his team were denied maximum points after the officials awarded a free-kick for home goalkeeper Jonathan Mitchell during a scramble that saw the ball cross the line off what appeared to be Young’s heel.
“We had a perfectly legitimate goal disallowed, which was very frustrating,” Flynn bemoaned. “It was poor from the officials.
“I’ve watched it back three times and I wouldn’t comment unless I was 100 per cent sure, but the goalkeeper dropped the ball and it was then back-heeled in.
“These things happen when you’re in a sticky patch and I thought we merited more than a point, even though Murph (Murphy Mahoney) has made some good saves for us. I was disappointed by the first 20 minutes of the second half, though.
“We gave them impetus and that’s happened a number of times now after we’ve been leading at half-time. We gave their player a free shot from the edge of the box to pick his spot and that can’t happen, but the team stuck together after that and we had seven players out, so we’re wafer thin and the sooner we get to January to get some bodies in the better.”
[(Monterrey) Strength]: 1. Monterrey lost to FC Cincinnati in the first round, ranking only 12th in the table. They have to win this game for a qualification spot, indicating full motivation.2. Veteran Sergio Canales scored a goal in the last game, once helping the team tie the game.3. Monterrey won 2 of the last 3 games in AH, revealing recent performances in line with expectations.[(Monterrey) N...
[(Molde FK) Strength]: 1. Molde FK are 13th in the league table, facing a risk of entering the relegation zone. Thus, they aim to take 3 points in this home game.2. Molde FK won 4-1 over Stromsgodset in the last league game at home, ending their 3-game losing streak and boosting their morale.3. In the last 5 encounters between both sides, Molde FK have the upper hand with 4 wins and 1 loss.4. The ...
[(KFUM-Kameratene Oslo) Strength]: 1. KFUM-Kameratene Oslo are 9th in the league table. Facing 5th-placed Rosenborg, they are eager to grab points in this game.2. KFUM-Kameratene Oslo won 3 league games in a row lately, with high morale. They secured a commanding 5-0 away win over Kristiansund BK in the last league game.3. KFUM-Kameratene Oslo were unbeaten with 3 wins and 1 draw in the last 4 hom...
[(Guadalajara Chivas) Strength]: 1. Guadalajara Chivas lost to New York Red Bulls in the first round. They have to go all out to win this game, if they want a qualification spot, indicating full motivation.[(Guadalajara Chivas) Neutral]: 1. Guadalajara Chivas scored 4 goals and conceded 5 in the last 3 games, revealing decent attack but unstable defense.2. Both sides have never met before, and thi...
[(HJK Helsinki) Strength]: 1. HJK Helsinki were unbeaten in the last 5 games, showing outstanding recent form.2. HJK Helsinki scored 13 goals in the last 5 games, averaging nearly 3 goals per game and indicating full offense.3. HJK Helsinki have the upper hand with 37 wins, 24 draws, and 14 losses in 75 encounters between both sides.4. HJK Helsinki won 4 of the last 5 games in AH, performing over ...
[(Santos FC) Strength]: 1. Alvaro Barreal scored 4 goals for Santos FC in the Campeonato Brasileiro Serie A this season, the top scorer of the team.2. Tiquinho made 3 assists for his side in the Campeonato Brasileiro Serie A this season, the top assist of the team.3. Santos FC won the last 2 encounters between both sides, giving them a better mentality.[(Santos FC) Weakness]: 1. Santos FC were win...
[(Valerenga) Strength]: 1. Valerenga are 16th in the table, only one point ahead of the relegation zone. They are motivated to take points to move up in this game.2. Mathias Grundetjern scored a goal in the last game, once helping the team tie the game.3. Valerenga were unbeaten with 1 win and 1 draw in the last 2 home games, performing well at home lately.4. In the last 10 encounters between both...
[(Stromsgodset) Strength]: 1. Stromsgodset are only 2nd from the bottom of the table. They urgently need to take points to move up, showing full motivation in this game.2. Marko Farji played 16 league games this season, scoring 6 goals and providing 3 assists. He is important in the team's attack.3. Stromsgodset were unbeaten with 2 wins and 1 draw in the last 3 encounters between both sides, givi...
[(FC Akron Tolyatti) Strength]: 1. FC Akron Tolyatti showed multiple scorers on offense, having 5 players who scored in two league games in the new season.2. FC Akron Tolyatti forward Gilson Tavares scored a brace in the last Russian Cup game. He is expected to perform well in this league game.3. FC Akron Tolyatti won 2-1 over Baltika Kaliningrad in the last Russian Cup game at home. They were unb...
[(Botafogo de Futebol e Regatas) Strength]: 1. As the defending champions, Botafogo de Futebol e Regatas are only 7th with 26 points, far away from the top team. To get back into the title race, the team must go all out to earn points, so their desire to win is beyond doubt.2. Botafogo de Futebol e Regatas forward Arthur Cabral has performed impressively since joining from SL Benfica this summer, ...
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