Stevenage kept their first clean sheet in nine winless matches to hold high-flying Harrogate to a 0-0 draw at Wetherby Road.

The hosts struggled all afternoon to break down a determined home defence, marshalled well by uncompromising skipper Scott Cuthbert.

In the early stages, Harrogate’s six-goal top scorer Luke Armstrong called goalkeeper Joseph Anang into action with a stinging 15-yard shot.

But, despite having netted just one first-half goal in their last eight away contests, it was Stevenage who went closest to opening the scoring before the break.

First, Brad Barry’s downward header beat Mark Oxley in the home goal but was cleared off the line by Connor Hall.

Then, Jamie Reid sprinted clear through the right channel and his shot hit the inside of Oxley’s near post before bouncing across the goal where Ryan Fallowfield was able to hook the ball away.

Armstrong went on to steer a Fallowfield cross off target from four yards on the stroke of half-time.

The second period subsequently fizzled out as a contest with neither side showing the necessary quality to warrant maximum points.