TRUE grit from perfect travellers Harrogate Railway saw off the purist football of Pickering Town to throw a spanner in the Northern Counties East League premier division promotion run-in.

Going into the match, Pickering had the title in the bag on paper if they won every single game. And with the score 1-0 at half time, they were looking good to build on that status and overturn Railway's 11-out-of-11 away wins record.

But a brave Scott Ryan header in the 90th minute made it 2-1 to Rail and handed the promotion initiative back to Goole, 2-1 victors at Long Eaton.

Pickering were easily the best side in the first half with their slick one-touch passing and they deservedly took the lead on 30 minutes.

Mark Swales skipped down the right flank and pulled back a quick low ball into the box where Tom Adams, in to replace Brian Dutton, who has been snapped up by Nationwide South club Weymouth, controlled and beat 'keeper Lee Ashforth, albeit with the help of a deflection.

Harrogate's no-nonsense football unsettled the Pikes defence and they were unravelled in the 72nd minute when Rail sub Sam Warburton - making his debut from the youth team - set up an easy goal-line tap in for fellow bencher Graham Marchant.

With the momentum gone, the Rail stole in with Ryan's cheeky winner to send the bench and the vocal travelling support delirious.

"The boys are sick," said gutted Pikes boss Alex Mathie. "We thought we had done enough to win the game but their substitutions changed it.

"But we've just got to pick ourselves up."

A delighted and somewhat bemused Martin Haresign said: "We would have taken a point but the lads obviously decided they wanted to win it."

Can they keep this 100 per cent away win record going? "The belief is there," said Haresign.

"We're at two points a game now and if we keep it up somebody's going to slip up."

Goole maintained their lead at the top as Joe Gaughan and Steve Davey earned them their win at Long Eaton.

Updated: 10:25 Monday, March 14, 2005