A game of two halves saw FGR on top in the first half, and Harrogate return the favour in the second.
An organised, solid performance and goals from Kengni and Kelly saw FGR go in at half-time in front.
A quick start to the second half and two goals in five minutes saw the visitors back square before the hour mark.
Both teams pushed hard for a winner, and while FGR may have looked slightly more likely to get it, the game ended in a draw.
First Half:
Following three clean sheets on the bounce, The New Lawn was in good spirits for the Halloween lunchtime kick-off, in the Autumnal sunshine.
Rovers started the better team and were rewarded in the 7th minute when Kengni latched on to a ball on the edge of the box and finished it exquisitely in the bottom corner past a sprawling Hutchinson.
It was a great finish, total composure and was celebrated with a thumb in the mouth and a ball up the shirt!
Rovers could have made it two a minute later after some fancy footwork from POTM Bryan Ifeanyi; his cross into the box bounced off the defender and landed at the feet of Will Grigg.
It was a tight angle, and the keeper came out well to stop the striker from doubling the lead.
On 13 minutes, the whole stadium thought it was a second goal, but Hutchinson was saved by his post.
It came from down the right this time as Abrefa drove forward and slotted the ball into the path of Tate Campbell.
The midfielder got to it ahead of the Harrogate defender but saw his effort fly off the post for a goal kick. So close!
It was Harrogate's turn to hit the woodwork shortly after as Ellis Taylor found himself in space on the edge of the box and got away his shot.
McNicholas was beaten, but the crossbar wasn’t.
That chance woke FGR up again, and they resumed their attacking intent.
Abrefa, a constant threat down the right, put in another cross but, frustratingly, no FGR player could get to it, and it went out for a corner.
Macca stood over the corner and put in a delightful ball; it flashed through a sea of bodies, but no one could get a toe to it and put it away.
Rovers' persistence was rewarded on the stroke of half-time as Kyle Kelly made it two.
A great team goal ended with Bryan Ifeanyi dancing into the box; his shot was blocked, but he laid off the rebound to Kyle Kelly, who calmly put it past the Harrogate keeper.
Nothing more than Rovers deserved going into the break.
There was an air of composure around TNL, the team playing with a freedom we’ve not seen much of this season.
A solid and professional first half, the managerial trio will have been very happy with.
Half-Time: Forest Green Rovers 2-0 Harrogate Town
Second Half:
Unfortunately for the FGR faithful, they didn’t start the second half as they finished the first.
It was a slow start after the break, and Harrogate capitalised in the 51st minute with a goal from Lewis Payne as Rovers failed to clear their lines.
The right back flashed it across McNicholas’s goal, and the ball nestled in the bottom corner at the back post.
2-1 and Harrogate were revitalised by the goal.
Oli Ewing was brought on for Ifeanyi on 55mins; great to see the midfielder back in action after being out since his goal at Sutton.
However, the Rovers fans had their heads in their hands just a minute later as Harrogate found an equaliser.
Rovers failed to deal with a long ball, and Hmami found Ellis Taylor in acres; Taylor slotted it past a diving McNicholas.
Not the start anyone apart from the 61 travelling fans at TNL were expecting or would have wanted to see, and it was game on.
Harrogate were in the ascendancy in the second half, and it took those two goals to finally wake the Rovers lads up a bit.
In the 71st minute, we saw a double substitution: both first-half goalscorers off for James Berry and Tre Pemberton.
Harrogate should really have made it three shortly after, but Luke will have been thankful for a very tame header by the Harrogate Centre-Forward.
Berry and Macca played possibly one of the best one-twos you’ll see this season, and it ended with Berry racing towards goal until he was cynically brought down by skipper Lewis Cass.
Chaos erupted on the bench, resulting in yellows for Josh Bowen and one of the Harrogate coaches, as well as Cass for the challenge.
In the 87th minute, Ewing was subject to another cynical challenge as he rolled the defender on the edge of the box.
The free-kick was in a great position, and Jayden Clarke stood over it.
He fired towards the top corner and the whole of the east stand thought it was in, but Hutchinson pulled off a worldie save to tip it on to the post.
Hutchinson’s fine save was almost for nothing two minutes later as he cannoned his clearance off his own centre-back and could do nothing but watch as the ball looped backwards towards his own goal.
Thankfully for the keeper, the spin on the bounce took it just past his post, and he will have been mightily relieved to see it do that.
The fourth official showed six minutes of added time, and both teams wanted the winner; it was end-to-end stuff in the last few minutes.
Macca almost nicked a winner at the death after a lovely ball inside from Mellor found him in space.
A trademark cut inside and shot with his left whistled just wide of Hutchinson’s upright.
The points were shared and on reflection probably a fair result.
Rovers will have felt frustrated having been two up, but Harrogate are a good side.
Special mention to the away fans who made the long trip for an early kick-off.
All eyes now on the trip to Luton next weekend.
Full-Time: Forest Green Rovers 2-2 Harrogate Town
Line-ups:
Forest Green: McNicholas, Kengni (Pemberton 71’), McIntyre, Mabete, Abrefa, Clarke, Campbell, Kelly (Berry 71’), McAllister (C), Ifeanyi (Ewing 55’), Grigg (Mellor 62’)
Subs (not used): Ross, Haughton, Kircough
Harrogate Town: Hutchinson, Payne (Thomson 79’), Bristow, Baptiste, Williams, Dreyer, Hmami (Muldoon 84’), Craig, Taylor, Thomas-Dolaghan (McGukin 66’), Cass (C)
Subs (not used): Clayton, Davies, Nelmes
Attendance: 1,437 (61 Away)
