HARROGATE overcame the odds of a lengthening injury list and three successive defeats to bounce back to winning form with a 35-25 success against one of the favourites for promotion from National League Two - partly thanks to returning RAF lock Peter Taylor.

Harrogate were behind after just two minutes when Esher prop Duncan Cormack scored, only to have his opposite number Rob Wilson level matters two minutes later. Then number eight Chris Horner scored his third try in two games to give Harrogate the lead.

Matt Moore levelled again on 20 minutes and the Surrey side edged back in front. Tony Jackson then gave them a 10-point cushion, reduced when Lee Cholewa landed a penalty close to the break.

John O'Reilly crossed for Esher seven minutes after the re-start, but Harrogate did not buckle.

Flanker Nick Beaumont crossed before full-back Ed Smithies scored the try of the game as Harrogate ran the ball from deep. Centre Matt Duncombe made the telling break, sprinting from inside his own half to feed Smithies on the Esher 22.

And when Cholewa landed the conversion - the first of the game - Harrogate were level. But that was not the end. In the first minute of injury time Cholewa dropped a goal and wing James Tapster sailed in for a fifth try with the last move of the game, which Cholewa converted.

Updated: 09:09 Tuesday, October 12, 2004