Bolton Wanderers v Harrogate Town: Sulphurites eye an upset after being handed toughest-possible FA Cup test

Jack Muldoon in action during Harrogate Town's 2-2 draw against Wrexham on Tuesday evening. Pictures: Matt Kirkham

Having avoided becoming victims of an FA Cup upset in round one, Harrogate Town will be looking to cause one of their own this Saturday.

A comprehensive 5-1 victory over non-league Marine earlier this month saw the League Two Sulphurites progress through to the second-round stage, where they will travel to Bolton Wanderers.

And with the Trotters currently flying high at the top of League One, Simon Weaver’s men literally couldn’t have been handed a tougher assignment.

Not only are Wanderers leading the way in the third tier, their recent form has been absolutely sensational.

Sulphurites forward Jack Muldoon celebrates his recent goal against Swindon.

Last weekend’s 7-0 mauling of Exeter City was their eighth win in a row in all competitions, a run which saw them go more than nine hours of football without conceding even a single goal.

On the challenge facing him and his team-mates at the weekend, experienced Harrogate forward Jack Muldoon said: “Obviously it’s going to be a really tough game. Bolton are doing very well, they are top of the league above and have just thumped Exeter 7-0, and they are no slouches.

"Going there, away from home makes it even more difficult, especially with the size of their pitch. But I still fancy our chances, 100 percent we can go there and get a result.

“We’ve got some lads who are playing really well at the minute. The likes of Dools [Stephen Dooley], Thommo [George Thomson] and Ibby [Abraham Odoh] are performing and, as a team, I think things have started to come together for us.

“We’ve got a lot of lads who have played so many games together now, which makes a big difference and so as long as we stick together on Saturday and have each other’s backs then we have a chance of causing an upset.”

Town will be without centre-half Rod McDonald (knee) and striker Sam Folarin (hamstring) at Bolton, though midfielders Matty Daly and Levi Sutton are back in training and are likely to return to Weaver’s squad.