Harrogate Town starting to improve as squad 'gels', but determined to turn back-to-back wins into a 'proper run'

The Sulphurites, who host high-flying Northampton this Saturday (3pm), recorded back-to-back League Two victories for the first time in 2022/23 when they routed Rochdale last weekend, pulling five points clear of the relegation zone in the process.

No fewer than 16 new faces arrived at Wetherby Road during the summer transfer window and Weaver believes that the combination of that overhaul and injuries to the likes of Josh Falkingham and Rory McArdle were major factors in Town making such an underwhelming start to the season.

But, he feels that recent performances and, more significantly, results prove that things are starting to come together for his team, who he now wants to see go on a “proper run”.

The Harrogate boss said: "Back-to-back league wins, it’s very big for us, but we hope to turn that into a proper run. We’ve shown great capabilities the last two games, scoring goals, creating lots of chances.

"There’s a growing bond between a new squad. It was a difficult start to the season because we had a number of new signings and also some very experienced players, who are integral to our plans, out injured, unable to play in pre-season, not back for the first few weeks of the regular season.

"By that point, we’d had a few blows to the confidence and a difficult run of matches without being full-strength. But I think that the more the lads have worked together, the way that they have gelled off the pitch as human beings is a big factor.

"We said before the Rochdale game that we are in a scrap and there is no getting away from it. We’ve still got a lot of work to do.”

On opening up a bit of breathing space at the bottom of the table heading into a tough test against a Northampton side who sit third in the table and are unbeaten in seven league matches, Weaver added: "It will be more significant if we can add to the tally and be 10 points away from the bottom two.

"That’s got to be the aim, to keep ticking them off, keep working hard at alleviating the pressure by picking up points.

"We’re in a match-play situation like golf, it’s a fight to the line. You look at the other results and last Saturday was a good day, but we don’t want to start taking it easy now.

"Josh Falkingham was in the dressing room after the game at Rochdale saying to the lads in no uncertain terms, in his passionate way ‘don’t over-celebrate, we’ve been here before’, and we are not getting ahead of ourselves because of a couple of positive results.”