Harrogate Town 5-4 Cambridge United: U's miss League Two promotion chance

Cambridge, 3-0 down after 20 minutes, fought back to make it 4-4 with 16 minutes left but were beaten by Kevin Lokko's winner

Cambridge United missed a chance to win promotion from League Two after falling to a dramatic 5-4 defeat at Harrogate Town, despite fighting back from 3-0 down.

Brendan Kiernan's double - the second a penalty - and Mark Beck's tap-in had the Yorkshire side in control after 20 minutes, but Wes Hoolahan and Luke Hannant replied for the U's before the half-hour mark.

Kiernan, who before kick-off had only scored one league goal this season, then prodded in to complete his hat-trick and put Harrogate 4-2 ahead at the break.

But Cambridge fought back, as Paul Mullin netted his 30th league goal of the campaign to halve the arrears on 59 minutes and then levelled the game from the penalty spot with 16 minutes left after being hacked down by Jay Williams.

Town defender Kevin Lokko drilled in through a crowded penalty box with six minutes remaining to snuff out the visitors' hopes of a winner, meaning Cambridge will have to wait to end their 19-year absence from the third tier.

The U's could yet be promoted on Saturday if both Morecambe and Tranmere Rovers fail to win their respective games, while victory in their final game of the season at home to relegated Grimsby would also be enough for Mark Bonner's side.

Harrogate, who had made eight changes from their last league outing, now race Concord Rangers in the rearranged 2019-20 FA Trophy final on Monday (17:00 BST).

Cambridge United striker Paul Mullin (left) took his tally to 33 goals in all competitions this season, but was left to wonder about what might have been

Cambridge United boss Mark Bonner told BBC Radio Cambridgeshire:

"It was a ridiculous game. With the stage of the season we are at and the consequences on the game, I'm really surprised it was like that.

"For us it was just way too open. We got counter-attacked way too easily in the first half.

"At 4-4 we were in good control of the game and looked a real threat, but then we conceded from a set play.

"We lost because we haven't defended properly."

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