Bradford City v Harrogate Town: 'Big' derby test will keep Sulphurites on their toes after Boxing Day elation

Harrogate Town won 1-0 in the FA Cup first round on their previous visit to Bradford City. Picture: Matt Kirkham

The Sulphurites make the short trip to Valley Parade to tackle Yorkshire rivals Bradford City on Thursday evening and do so on their best run of League Two form since August 2021.

The men from Wetherby Road chalked up a third consecutive victory by beating Grimsby 3-2 on Boxing Day courtesy of a stoppage-time winner.

And Weaver believes that heading straight into a derby clash in a big stadium will help ensure that his players do not suffer from a case of “after the lord mayor’s show” just 72 hours on from that dramatic comeback success over the Mariners.

Harrogate Town's players celebrate their stoppage-time winner against Grimsby on Boxing Day. Picture: Ben Roberts/ProSportsImages

“It’s another big game on Thursday and we have to get right back up for it. We know what is at stake,” the Town boss said.

“It can’t be a case of after the lord mayor’s show just because we had a dramatic winner in the last minutes on Boxing Day.

“It was quite a big game to win. Lots of drama, lots of excitement, a great ovation from the supporters after the game and a thrilling victory. So we have to get ourselves going again and I’m glad that it is a big game at Bradford where we’re expecting a big crowd.

“We’ll have to show the same resilience again on Thursday, be really focused and play with the same determination as we would if we had lost the last few. We have to be right up for it.

Simon Weaver has emerged victorious from all three of his previous visits to Valley Parade. Picture: Matt Kirkham

“They are a strong outfit, but we just want to add to the points tally.”

Town were without nine first-team players against Grimsby due to injury or illness, but hope that influential midfielder Alex Pattison will recover from a bug in time to be able to play some part at Bradford.

Regardless of whether Pattison does return or not, Weaver is considering freshening things up in certain areas, with a number of his match-fit squad members currently contending with cold and flu symptoms.“We’ve looked at the players in training and had a chat to a few,” he added.

"We need everyone right on it, we can’t go into it with anyone who has an empty tank. We need to show the same energy, the same front-foot mentality and put ourselves about on a big pitch.

“We’re hoping to have Patto back. He’s been ill throughout the Christmas period but returned to training on Wednesday and we’ll see how he is after the exertion of training.

“It would be a massive plus to get him back.”

Six-goal midfielder Matty Daly, scorer of the winner when Town triumphed 1-0 at Valley Parade in the FA Cup first round last month, is one of those who will definitely miss out on Thursday evening.

November’s victory was Harrogate’s third at Bradford in as many visits since their promotion to the Football League. The Sulphurites have come out on top in five of the previous six meetings between the sides.

They fought back to win 3-1 in last season’s corresponding league fixture, with goals coming from Warren Burrell, Lewis Page and Jack Diamond.

Kick-off on Thursday evening is at 7.45pm.