CONCEDING late goals has become an all too familiar story for Worcester City this season.

Failure to see out winning positions at both Oxford City and Bradford Park Avenue has already cost them four precious points.

On Saturday at St George’s Lane they did it again, twice letting a two-goal lead slip through their fingers against Harrogate Town.

The difference this time, however, was that City didn’t deserve to win and it would have been an injustice to Harrogate had they done so.

Against Oxford and Bradford, Carl Heeley’s team had done more than enough for the three points before switching off defensively.

But that wasn’t the case against the men from Yorkshire, who enhanced their reputation as good travellers with a decent display. For the majority, Simon Weaver’s side were better than Worcester and carved out the clearer openings.

City’s home record had attracted the largest gate of the season so far but they struggled to string the passes together in pursuit of a fifth consecutive success.

A draw this still might have been but Worcester will face better teams this season — indeed, they have only played one of the current Blue Square Bet North top 10.

Too many of their usually reliable performers had off days — Tom Thorley and Mike Symons among them — despite a return to the more familiar 4-4-2 set-up.

Danny Glover paid for recent lacklustre efforts by being dropped to the bench but the substitute looked to have earned an unlikely victory when he climbed above the defence to glance Ellis Deeney’s corner into the far corner with 10 minutes to go.

Yet, deep into injury-time, Worcester failed to deal with a routine ball into the box and sub Paul Beesley was left with the easiest of tap-ins.

Before that, Harrogate skipper Alan White had given City the lead by turning Deeney’s cross past keeper Jose Veiga, before the visitors levelled with a sumptuous 25-yarder from the left boot of debutant Dan Clayton.

Harrogate also struck the woodwork through Adam Nowakowski and Chib Chilaka’s strength gave the hosts plenty to think about.

Worcester did have their moments, largely restricted to the second-half and coming after Charlie Reece and Matt Breeze had been introduced.

Both were full of energy, with an eagerness to get forward and make something happen, and will have done their chances of starting against Solihull Moors at Damson Park tomorrow night no harm.

Glover, too, should come back in after giving himself a much-needed confidence boost by notching his fourth goal of the season.

Even if it didn’t prove decisive.