Crewe Alexandra 3 Harrogate Town 0: 'Inconsistency' leaves Simon Weaver frustrated

Having produced their most complete performance of the season to date when they beat Yorkshire rivals and then-League Two leaders Doncaster Rovers last time out, the Sulphurites were dreadful against the Railwaymen on Saturday afternoon, losing out by a 3-0 score-line.

After a largely underwhelming start to the campaign, both in terms of the football they have played and results, the Harrogate chief hoped that impressive derby success in front of live Sky Sports cameras would prove to be a turning point.

But none of the intensity, industry and physicality that their Doncaster win was built on was evident at Gresty Road, while their defensive resolve also deserted them, with Crewe able to cruise into a 2-0 half-time lead courtesy of strikes by Kane Hemmings and Jack Lankester.

They were marginally better after the break, and did at least threaten a response, but ultimately went on to concede again late on when Hemmings netted his second of the afternoon.

And Weaver was understandably annoyed at the full-time whistle.

“It’s the lack of consistency that is driving me mad right now,” he said.

“It dumbfounded me, how we’ve gone from such a high from Doncaster – and enjoyed the few days after that, basking in the glory of that – to then not reach anywhere near the heights today.

"There was a lack of energy, a lack of oomph in any of the duels. We looked small-fry today.

“It’s a new low for this season. The way we were beaten up in the first 20 minutes was a real blow. We are trying to exhaust every emotion and every effort level off the pitch to try to drive the lads.

"The lack of intensity hurts very much. I was a bit stunned, in all honesty, because I expected us to win the war, win the fight, and represent the club with more pride.”

And Weaver did not stop there, going on to state that he felt his side could easily have been dead and buried by the 20-minute mark.

“I don’t think that I have said this too many times, but I felt that we were beaten up because of how much effort was put in by their players. We were weak,” he added.

“It could have been more than three after the first 20 minutes. Simple things like not arriving first, not getting a shoulder in, not being strong enough to win a first ball or a second ball. Hemmings couldn’t have had an easier afternoon.

“We were outmuscled. At half-time, I was critical of the leg-work out in, of the carrying out of the roles. It was too easy for them.”

Weaver kept faith with the same starting XI and the same system that worked so well against Doncaster, but insisted that it was not his team’s formation or their game-plan which were to blame for Saturday’s display.

"If I have changed the team, or changed the way that we want to go about things then I would hold my hand up, but I haven’t,” he continued.

“With any shape, you can’t explain the misjudgements that I witnessed from in front of the dug-out.

"Man for man, we wanted to come and outwork them. We wanted to play out from the back when we could, but we played out from the back when we couldn’t. We looked feeble in all departments.”

Saturday’s defeat sees Harrogate drop to 20th in the League Two standings, four points above the relegation zone with seven points to their name from their opening seven matches.