Harrogate 1-2 Portsmouth: League One side fight back to win after power cut delays game

Portsmouth battled back to beat National League Harrogate Town in an FA Cup first-round tie that was delayed by 55 minutes because of a power cut.

When the game eventually got underway at 20:40 GMT, the hosts took an early lead when Mark Beck headed home from close range after Pompey failed to deal with a free-kick played into the area.

However, Brandon Haunstrup drew the League One side level with a lovely curled effort from the edge of the area and the south-coast club then took the lead before the break when Ronan Curtis smashed home a brilliant strike from long range.

George Thomson hit a shot just off target as the non-league side pushed for an equaliser before home goalkeeper James Belshaw tipped a low Lee Brown shot onto the post as the 2008 winners held out.

Full FA Cup second-round draw

They will host National League North side Altrincham in the second round.

A power cut in the area led to the game being delayed, and then another brief power outage just before the teams were set to come out meant the game was briefly in danger of being called off.

Fortunately there were no further issues once the game began in difficult weather conditions in North Yorkshire and two brilliant efforts won it for the EFL side.

First Haunstrup drifted in off the right before firing a wonderful curled effort in for his first professional goal and then Curtis fired in from almost 30 yards as Kenny Jackett's men avoided a potential banana skin.

Line-ups
Match Stats
Live Text

Line-ups

Harrogate

Formation 4-4-2

1Belshaw
2Fallowfield
22Smith
20Hall
3Smith
14KiernanSubstituted forBradleyat 70'minutes
4Falkingham
6BurrellSubstituted forEmmettat 31'minutes
23DiamondSubstituted forThomsonat 63'minutes
9Beck
18Muldoon

Substitutes

7Thomson
8Emmett
10Jones
12Taylor
13Cracknell
15Bradley
21Brown

Portsmouth

Formation 4-2-3-1

1MacGillivray
38Haunstrup
6Burgess
20RaggettSubstituted forDowningat 31'minutes
3Brown
4NaylorSubstituted forWalkesat 24'minutes
33Close
7Williams
26Evans
11Curtis
10Marquis

Substitutes

2Walkes
5Downing
8Pitman
13Bolton
14Cannon
19Harness
35Bass

Referee:: Anthony Backhouse
Attendance:: 3,048

Match Stats

Home TeamHarrogateAway TeamPortsmouth

Possession: Home53%; Away47%

Shots: Home9; Away14

Shots on Target: Home4; Away6

Corners: Home5; Away3

Fouls: Home10; Away11

Live Text

Post update
Match ends, Harrogate Town 1, Portsmouth 2.
90'+3'
Full Time
Second Half ends, Harrogate Town 1, Portsmouth 2.

90'+3'
Post update
Attempt blocked. Ryan Williams (Portsmouth) left footed shot from the right side of the box is blocked. Assisted by John Marquis.
90'+2'
Post update
Attempt blocked. John Marquis (Portsmouth) right footed shot from outside the box is blocked. Assisted by Lee Brown.
88'
Post update
Hand ball by Josh Falkingham (Harrogate Town).
86'
Post update
Attempt saved. Jack Muldoon (Harrogate Town) right footed shot from the right side of the box is saved in the centre of the goal.
83'
Post update
Attempt missed. Ryan Williams (Portsmouth) right footed shot from long range on the right misses to the right.
81'
Post update
Attempt saved. Alex Bradley (Harrogate Town) right footed shot from outside the box is saved in the bottom left corner. Assisted by Mark Beck.
81'
Post update
Hand ball by Gareth Evans (Portsmouth).
81'
Post update
Attempt saved. Lee Brown (Portsmouth) left footed shot from a difficult angle on the left is saved in the centre of the goal. Assisted by Ronan Curtis.
79'
Post update
Corner, Portsmouth. Conceded by George Smith.
79'
Post update
Attempt missed. Mark Beck (Harrogate Town) header from the centre of the box is too high. Assisted by George Thomson with a cross following a corner.
78'
Post update
Corner, Harrogate Town. Conceded by Christian Burgess.
77'
Post update
Jack Muldoon (Harrogate Town) wins a free kick on the left wing.
77'
Post update
Foul by Paul Downing (Portsmouth).
74'
Post update
Attempt missed. Gareth Evans (Portsmouth) left footed shot from outside the box is high and wide to the left.
74'
Post update
Attempt saved. Mark Beck (Harrogate Town) header from the centre of the box is saved in the bottom left corner. Assisted by George Thomson with a cross.
73'
Post update
Corner, Harrogate Town. Conceded by Lee Brown.
70'
Substitution
Substitution, Harrogate Town. Alex Bradley replaces Brendan Kiernan.
70'
Post update
John Marquis (Portsmouth) wins a free kick in the defensive half.