Graydon's Late Heroics Lift Fleetwood Past Harrogate in Breathless Highbury Thriller

FLEETWOOD, England — In a match that swung like a pendulum between hope and despair, Fleetwood Town clawed back from a goal down twice to snatch a dramatic 3-2 victory over Harrogate Town at Highbury Stadium on Saturday, with Ryan Graydon's 78th-minute strike proving the difference in a contest neither side could afford to lose.

The win, Fleetwood's fifth of the campaign, lifts them to 14th place on 15 points and provides crucial separation from the relegation conversation that has quietly begun to permeate the lower reaches of League Two. For Harrogate, sitting just two points behind in 16th, the defeat extends a troubling pattern — three losses in their last five matches — and raises questions about their ability to protect leads.

Warren Burrell gave the visitors an early advantage in the 16th minute, capitalizing on defensive uncertainty to put Harrogate ahead against the run of play. The goal silenced the home faithful, who had watched their side dominate possession without finding the breakthrough. But Fleetwood's response came swiftly. Just 15 minutes later, they drew level through a goal that seemed to galvanize the entire stadium, shifting momentum decisively in the home side's favor.

The first half ended with both teams trading chances, each goalkeeper forced into smart saves that kept the scoreline level heading into the interval. The match had the feeling of a knife-edge affair, the kind where a single moment of brilliance or error could prove decisive.

That moment appeared to arrive 11 minutes into the second half. Jack Muldoon, who has been Harrogate's most reliable source of goals this season with strikes in four of their last five matches, restored the visitors' advantage with a clinical finish in the 56th minute. The 32-year-old striker wheeled away in celebration, perhaps believing he had delivered the knockout blow to Fleetwood's hopes.

He hadn't reckoned with Fleetwood's newfound resilience. The home side had shown flashes of attacking potency in recent weeks — four goals against Colchester, four more against Leeds United's under-21 side in the EFL Trophy — and those glimpses of quality came flooding back in the final 20 minutes.

Elliot Bonds leveled the match in the 72nd minute, finishing off a flowing move that showcased the kind of football Fleetwood supporters have been desperate to see consistently this season. The goal breathed new life into Highbury Stadium, transforming nerves into belief.

Six minutes later, Graydon completed the comeback. The forward, who had scored in the 1-1 draw against Walsall last month, found space in the penalty area and made no mistake, sending the home supporters into raptures and leaving Harrogate defenders slumped in disbelief. It was a moment of individual quality that decided a match defined by collective determination.

The final whistle brought relief more than jubilation for Fleetwood, whose modest record of four wins, three draws, and four losses from 11 matches tells the story of a team still searching for consistency. Yet this victory felt different. Coming back from behind once requires character; doing it twice suggests something deeper — a refusal to accept defeat that could prove invaluable as the season progresses.

For Harrogate manager, the post-match inquest will be painful. His side has now conceded late goals in consecutive league defeats, a pattern that transforms promising performances into painful lessons. Muldoon's goal should have been enough. Instead, it became another footnote in a frustrating October.

The defeat drops Harrogate deeper into the bottom half of the table, just two points clear of the relegation places with the season still young but already beginning to define itself. Their next fixtures will test whether they can rediscover the defensive solidity that delivered consecutive clean sheets against Shrewsbury and Gillingham in late September.

Fleetwood, meanwhile, will take heart not just from the three points but from the manner in which they were earned. In League Two, where margins are razor-thin and confidence fragile, the ability to fight back speaks to a spirit that could carry them clear of danger as autumn turns to winter.