The League Two leaders were outplayed for long periods of the game by opponents who find themselves second from bottom of the table, and although the Ravens boss felt a draw was a fair result in the end, he admitted that his team “lacked quality” in the final third.

“It was a hard-fought match,” Woodman said following that stalemate at The Exercise Stadium. “We lacked a bit of quality in what we were trying to do, and a bit of direction in one or two moments, but credit to Harrogate.

“I have to give credit to them, they have been dogged today and showed why they have got a few results. We couldn’t quite break them down and get that moment in front of goal.

“I didn’t feel that we created enough pressure around their goal mouth. That wasn’t down to the shape, it was down to the quality of our balls. We just weren’t quite putting the balls into the right areas.

“We didn’t create enough, and they didn’t create enough. It was one of those games that neither team wants to lose, and neither team did enough to win it. It was a battle out there, so I am disappointed in one breath, but overall I don’t think there was a lot in it.”

Harrogate manager Simon Weaver said the fact that his players were disappointed not to have beaten opponents who he believes will go on to be crowned champions shows just how far they have come in recent weeks.

The Sulphurites went 20 matches without a victory between late September and early February, but have now taken eight points from the last 12 on offer and are unbeaten in their last four.

“To perform to that high a level against the team who will probably be the champions of this division, just shows how far we have come in a short space of time,” Weaver said.

“The lads looked a little bit deflated that we didn’t get the three points, which shows a good level of confidence when you start to believe that we are not just hanging on. We were flowing, and there was some tremendous football played out there.

“It is like managing a different football club at the minute from where we were two months ago when we were massively depleted [due to an injury crisis].

“It’s now four games of competing and getting points. Before that, we were competing and performing well for three games that I think we probably deserved to win.

“But there was some good work done in January, good players brought in, and that has refreshed things.”