Beating fellow high-flyers the key to Harrogate Town's emergence as title contenders - George Thomson

That is the view of George Thomson, whose brace helped the Wetherby Road outfit complete a National League double over Yeovil Town in midweek, a result which moves his team to within four points of leaders Barrow.

Tuesday’s 3-0 success follows a 2-1 win over the Glovers in Somerset earlier in the season, while second-placed Town also beat Barrow 3-0 on the road back in August.

Factor in a 1-0 away victory over Halifax (3rd), followed by a 2-2 draw with the Shaymen on home turf, and Simon Weaver’s men have amassed a tally of 13 points from a possible 15 in their clashes with the rest of the division’s current top-four.

Compare those statistics with 2018/19 when Harrogate finished sixth but won just once in 10 matches against the five clubs who finished above them in the table, and it becomes almost impossible to dispute Thomson’s point.

“Last season, we struggled against the top-seven and that was probably our downfall, where as that’s six points off Yeovil now and we just need to kick on,” he said.

“If you want to be up there, you’ve got to beat the teams around you. Obviously you’ve got to beat the other teams as well, but it’s how you do against the top sides that will decide whether you finish above them.

“This is what we are doing. It’s something that we’ve improved on from last year and now we’re looking upwards.

"We want that top spot.”