Let's talk about the Harrogate Town game

[selby]

  Another bogey team to get off our back, and another side that seems to know all the right buttons to press to upset our game plan and our rhythm.
  Since the new year they have themselves shown better form, especially in a hard fought game v Leeds United when they came out of the game with great credit despite losing going head to head with the top side in the Championship, and if they apply themselves the same way v us we are in for a very interesting game to watch.
  Defensively fairly sound but like most teams in the bottom half scoring goals is their biggest problem, winning with two own goals yesterday that Cheltenham conceded showing how dangerous in those situations they can be with their delivery into the box.
  The comments of local boy Weaver the manager are giving a pointer to what we can expect "We looked a strong physical outfit 
 really up for the job, and i want us to be like that in our remaining games". so it will not be pretty and very likely we will have to match them to play our football like yesterday.
  In the game at Harrogate we were to me comprehensively beaten, bullied off the ball and run at direct at every opportunity and if we allow them could be in for the same thing again.
  The last two games have gone our way because we have competed in mid field, have had a bit of luck at times , but in Moly have had the class act in front of goal, two great finishes but cannot depend on that every match, we need others to come to the party, The new players have done well without being outstanding but part of an all-round hard working side, hopefully with confidence the basis of a good run of results and a slightly more expansive game when they have earnt the right to play.
  Long of the mind if it isn't broken don't fix it' so much the same team for me, as everyone has contributed and put good shifts in and got the rewards.
    So what do you think? lots to discuss, can we get a result against them at last? it is a handy time to do it. Can we handle the type of game they will try to impose on us? can we show the home crowd we are capable of winning home games more regular than of late? please have your say.

[Chris Black come back]

We’ve played them twice at home in our history and we haven’t scored yet, let alone got a point.

[Prez]

Just like to say a few words about this fixture…


I frickin hate it.



Thanks.

[Thorney]

Lets just go for it and try and get an early goal.

Slow passing around between the defence and midfield does not work against this lot. They wont get drawn out.

[selby]

  I am with you Thorney, turn past negatives into positives, I feel we have gone a long way to doing that in the last two games, which on paper were a hard ask to come away with two wins however we did it.
  Just go for it, and back those two results up and if we have to match them and win ugly so be it , just find a way, results are everything from now on.

[Harrogate Rover]

Just like to say a few words about this fixture…


I frickin hate it.



Thanks.

I'm with you on that. I hope after Saturday we never have to play them again.

[Ian Nimmo]

  I am with you Thorney, turn past negatives into positives, I feel we have gone a long way to doing that in the last two games, which on paper were a hard ask to come away with two wins however we did it.
  Just go for it, and back those two results up and if we have to match them and win ugly so be it , just find a way, results are everything from now on.

Yes totally agree, they have done well against us because we have played in a predictable way.
So let’s turn the table, when we have the ball let’s play quickly with our passing and the triangles moving forward, any player passing backwards will be fined!
It we don’t win this one, Terry won’t be very pleased, so take note Grant!

Yeah somewhat tongue in cheek with this, but we can not afford to muck this one up so let’s not mess about with 2 wide players and one central striker, let’s get some misters on the pitch.

[Harrogate Rover]

They're a horrible side to play against. They beat us back in  September with 30% possesion, and two break away goals and a performance that none of their fan's could see coming. Simon Weaver has out coached Danny Schofield and Grant McCann in all five games we've played against them.
Looking back at their side that beat us earlier this season, 8 that started against us, started against Cheltenham the other night, 2 were on the bench, the other was Gibson the left back is injured. They've recently signed Bryn Morris from Newport County, and apparantly he's been a key reason why they've won their last two league games.
They also have, in my opinion, one of the best goalkeepers in the lower leagues, James Belshaw, and best defenders, Anthony O'Connor. However, they don't score many goals, Josh March who scored against us at their place is top scorer with 4.

We, on the other hand, have got two players in double figures, so as others have said, let's get at them right from the start. 
If were not 3-0 after 10minutes I'm going home 

[donnyguy]

Hopefully they pick up a few knocks and red cards in their game on Tuesday night

[Lesonthewest]

This will be a tough game no doubt, they've had our measure for a while. They made it tough for Leeds in the cup, & had a nailed on penalty not given at 0-0. Really strong defensively & have added to their squad in the window with a striker, left back, & a central defender. If can get in front we should be ok, go behind early & it will be a long afternoon.

[andysly]

I might be missing a few details but we seem to have struggled more often than not with these predominantly non-league clubs.
Accrington, Barrow, Harrogate - I don’t think we’ve great records against Fleetwood or Morecambe (Copps 500th excepted) either

[Colemans Left Hook]

Can we create history that is the question  -or will we sulfer yet another defeat ?

Amazingly Bradford City have also have a very bad record against them

Even Leeds at home crawled over the line last week in the FA Cup 1-0 against them

https://www.11v11.com/teams/bradford-city/tab/opposingTeams/opposition/Harrogate%20Town/

A couple of years ago I backed Bradford to beat them at home in the F A Cup and they lost 1-0 at home.

Since then I have  always watched how they put the indian sign on Bradford as well as us

and steer clear !!

Of the 10 meetings   Harrogate have won 7  Bradford have won 2 with 1 match drawn

12 Oct 2020   Bradford City v Harrogate Town   L   0-1   League Two
17 Apr 2021   Harrogate Town v Bradford City   L   2-1   League Two
05 Feb 2022   Harrogate Town v Bradford City   L   2-0   League Two
22 Feb 2022   Bradford City v Harrogate Town   L   1-3   League Two
01 Oct 2022   Harrogate Town v Bradford City   W   1-2   League Two
05 Nov 2022   Bradford City v Harrogate Town   L   0-1   FA Cup
29 Dec 2022   Bradford City v Harrogate Town   W   1-0   League Two
16 Sep 2023   Bradford City v Harrogate Town   D   1-1   League Two
23 Mar 2024   Harrogate Town v Bradford City   L   3-0   League Two
28 Sep 2024   Harrogate Town v Bradford City   L   2-1   League Two


https://www.skysports.com/watch/video/sports/13291141/harrogate-2-0-cheltenham-league-two-highlights

Harrogate beat Cheltenham 2-0 on Saturday with both goals coming from corners and credited as OWN GOALS

It's funny but when we play them there is always a bad smell around 

[drfchound]

We had been having a rough rub of the green at Gillingham but beat them last Saturday.
All runs come to an end and there is no reason we can’t beat Harrogate on the coming Saturday.

[i_ateallthepies]

I thought we improved as soon as Ironside came on on Saturday, I'd like to see him start against Harrogate.

[Fal]

Are we seriously sitting here worried about Harrogate Town? Sure they have a decent record against us but they are 19th in the league, have only scored 23 goals all season and picked up only 1 point in the whole of December included a defeat to a very poor Tranmere team.

Sure they played well against Leeds but thats a one off fixture against their local rivals, barrow have been bad for a while and their two goals against Cheltenham were own goals. Colchester will get something out of the game on Tuesday and i expect us to pick up the 3 points on Saturday.

[Thorney]

Are we seriously sitting here worried about Harrogate Town? Sure they have a decent record against us but they are 19th in the league, have only scored 23 goals all season and picked up only 1 point in the whole of December included a defeat to a very poor Tranmere team.

Sure they played well against Leeds but thats a one off fixture against their local rivals, barrow have been bad for a while and their two goals against Cheltenham were own goals. Colchester will get something out of the game on Tuesday and i expect us to pick up the 3 points on Saturday.

But our problems in the past have come from thinking harrogate is a team we will beat easily. And each time that hasnt been the story.

[Barmby Rover]

Moving the ball forwards faster will see them off. If Mols is coming back into form and capable of beating his man, and Street can do the same on the other wing Rovers could demolish this idea of a "bogey team" as they did with Gillingham.

[Usher wide.]

Are we seriously sitting here worried about Harrogate Town? Sure they have a decent record against us but they are 19th in the league, have only scored 23 goals all season and picked up only 1 point in the whole of December included a defeat to a very poor Tranmere team.

Sure they played well against Leeds but thats a one off fixture against their local rivals, barrow have been bad for a while and their two goals against Cheltenham were own goals. Colchester will get something out of the game on Tuesday and i expect us to pick up the 3 points on Saturday.

I sit & worry about every game we play.

Nothing to do with the team, just me & superstitions.

My own fault. I currently have eight replica shirts to choose from to wear on match day.

I’m forever making sure my wife hasn’t ‘washed the luck’ out of any particular ‘winning shirt’.

That is until I wear it & we lose.

And don’t ask about scarves!

[selby]

  The day you underestimate your opponent or disrespect them you are on a sticky wicket and in danger of losing in whatever sport you play.

[Harrogate Rover]

I thought we improved as soon as Ironside came on on Saturday, I'd like to see him start against Harrogate.

I agree. Billy got nowt against O'Connor and Moon at their place.

[selby]

  In past games against us they have negated everything we have tried to do and imposed their game on us. They have known exactly what buttons to press where we are weakest, and have out played us, in the last game being very direct running at our back line and running past them, only Olowu matching them for pace and squaring us up anywhere near our 18 yard line and left us floundering.
  Only rarely did they pump the ball into the box high, mostly getting to the goal line and pulling it back for players to run onto.
  They tried to do the same to Leeds and should have got a penalty being hauled down going past the Leeds full back and are quick and strong out wide especially down our left flank of McGrath and Maxwell.
  We will need to play well to get our first win against them, and defend better than in the first game.

[Silkscarf]

I might be missing a few details but we seem to have struggled more often than not with these predominantly non-league clubs.
Accrington, Barrow, Harrogate - I don’t think we’ve great records against Fleetwood or Morecambe (Copps 500th excepted) either

The Likes of Accrington, The Likes of Barrow…etc.?

I think we know by now that any team in the football league, and many below it, can beat us. We can lose to anybody!

[Dagenham Rover]

And a shiny new to the EFL referee ..........

[Chris Black come back]

They've scored in four of their last five away league games and the only game they failed to do that was at Salford City who were coming into unreal form at the time. Be fairly surprised if they don't score on Saturday.

[Dougiebulletheader]

Got a new Stricker as well. Few clubs were looking at him. Chesterfield was one..

[DearneValleyRover]

At their place they scored on the counter attack against us, pretty much how we like to do to opposition teams.Can we play through 2 banks of four without leaving ourselves exposed. So far I haven’t seen that ability, hopefully the new boys can help solve that problem.

[ncRover]

At their place they scored on the counter attack against us, pretty much how we like to do to opposition teams.Can we play through 2 banks of four without leaving ourselves exposed. So far I haven’t seen that ability, hopefully the new boys can help solve that problem.

We played a high line with McGrath and Anderson against a pacey centre forward.

If I remember rightly, the in-game management was really poor too.

[ForsolongaRover]

Are we seriously sitting here worried about Harrogate Town? Sure they have a decent record against us but they are 19th in the league, have only scored 23 goals all season and picked up only 1 point in the whole of December included a defeat to a very poor Tranmere team.

Sure they played well against Leeds but thats a one off fixture against their local rivals, barrow have been bad for a while and their two goals against Cheltenham were own goals. Colchester will get something out of the game on Tuesday and i expect us to pick up the 3 points on Saturday.

Don’t tell us; tell the team!!

[les@donr]

We have to be at our very best to beat them.Our record against them is worse than poor.

[Avsuptem]

This game will be very telling imho. There is such a positive vibe about us now, the January recruits, training ground, strong bench, few injuries, FA cup, win v Gills, intended Walsall overhaul etc. To validate the vibe it has to be reflected in performances on the pitch. Our poor record v Harrogate means nothing at all, this is a new game and we should have the fire power for a comfortable victory.  Barring silly errors or refereeing cock ups  we should win this by 2 or 3 clear goals. Easy.