Why Harrogate Town boss Simon Weaver replaced Pete Jameson with Mark Oxley at Salford City

The 32-year-old was handed just his second League Two start of the campaign, making a first appearance in almost four months as he replaced regular number one Pete Jameson between the sticks.

Oxley was Weaver’s first choice last term, but has had to play second fiddle to Jameson so far this season with the ex-York City man getting the nod in 26 of Town’s previous 27 league outings.

And although Jameson has not looked as assured in recent months as he did earlier on in his maiden Football League campaign, the Harrogate chief says the decision to drop him to the bench at Moor Lane was not form-related.

"Pete Jameson has come up two leagues and been very, very good for us,” Weaver said.

"He’s played 27 games non-stop and carried a couple of injuries recently and illnesses and we have to value every member of staff.

"We just wanted to give him a breather. It has been relentless, especially with the injuries mounting up for him. It was also a chance for Mark because he has been waiting in the wings.

"He has been so supportive and people don’t see that from the terraces the big part he has played behind the scenes. He has been training outstandingly well and it is good for everybody to feel valued at some point.”

Oxley wasn’t too far away from marking his return to action with a clean-sheet, Town making it as far as the 81st minute before Matty Lund struck to cancel out Jack Muldoon’s 50th-minute opener.

Harrogate remain 20th in the League Two standings following Tuesday’s result, though Gillingham’s victory over Grimsby means that the Sulphurites now sit just two points clear of the relegation zone.