Debutants shine as Harrogate Town get up and running for 2026/27 with five-star display

And every single one of them made a positive contribution as the Sulphurites got up and running for 2026/27 with an impressive 5-2 success at Wetherby Road.

Not only did they win the game in convincing fashion, but Simon Weaver’s men also played some excellent football as they dominated the vast majority of the contest.

And that was despite the unfamiliar look of their starting XI, and the fact that they lined up in a new-look 3-4-2-1 formation.

At the back, there were three faces whom the Town faithful know well – veteran goalkeeper Mark Oxley, beginning his sixth term as a Harrogate player, and defenders Lewis Cass and Cathal Heffernan.

Just in front of them, and anchoring the Sulphurites’ midfield was captain Bryn Morris, however the rest of the positions on the pitch were filled by newcomers.

Taking his place on the left-hand side of Town’s three-man defence was Archie Baptiste, who looked a class act over the course of the 90 minutes and also broke the deadlock just before half-time with a sweetly-struck half-volley from just outside the box.

Dominant aerially, the ex-Tottenham and Middlesbrough centre-half showed good awareness as he covered in behind well on a couple of occasions, while also demonstrating his calmness in possession and ability to play out from the back.

"He played with a smile on his face and nutmegged one of their players and showed that he has a lot of ability,” Weaver said.

"It’s what we want from the centre-halves, to go and join in and play, and although I didn’t visualise him scoring that goal like he did, now that he’s done it, I want him to keep on doing it.”

Lewis Payne, a summer arrival from Morecambe, and Ethan Bristow, who was only unveiled by Town two hours before kick-off, were deployed in the wing-back positions and both men were heavily involved as the hosts bossed the play.

"Lewis Payne delivered some good balls from the right, and he’s a nuisance as well and an irritant, the way he closes down the opposition,” Weaver added.

"He’s got a good set of lungs, so he can get up and down because we want him to play high up and be attack-minded as we needed him putting crosses on a plate for his team-mates.

"The decision to thrown Ethan in paid off, it would seem. He is a natural athlete, so I didn’t worry so much about putting him in from the start.

"He did start to tire in the 10 minutes just before we brought him off, but I thought that he was superb while he was on the pitch.”

Morgan Williams was deployed next to Morris in the engine room and showed that he is a good technician, while always looking to be positive and progressive when in possession of the ball.

Will McGowan and Bailey Hobson played in slightly more advanced roles, and both men found pockets of space in front of the Solihull defence from which they were able to cause problems.

McGowan showed some nice footwork to get himself into a couple of decent shooting positions before being crowded out, while Hobson looked a real handful, used his body to good effect and forced visiting goalkeeper Max Metcalfe into a sharp save at 0-0.

"Bailey is a robust number 10, and I thought he looked great. He has that killer edge, but also plays with a physicality which we need at this level,” the Harrogate chief continued.

“He gets on the end of things and will score goals for us, without a doubt.”

Brad Dolaghan led the line for Town and was another new boy to catch the eye, linking the play intelligently while also looking a threat inside the penalty area.

And although he did not manage to get off the mark at the first time of asking, he drew two good stops out of Metcalfe during a promising performance that demonstrated why he finished last term as National League South’s leading goal-scorer.

“Brad dropped off nicely and linked the play. He played like he had a real clarity about his role,” Weaver said.

“He played in a similar system at Worthing, his previous club, which helps, but I thought he hit the ground running and did well.”

In addition to those seven starters, two newcomers also arrived off the substitutes’ bench to make their debuts, with both striker Ciaran McGuckin and wing-back Rohan Vaughan getting on the score-sheet.

It was the latter who had the final say, smashing home from close range at the second attempt, though McGuckin was the man to net Harrogate’s crucial third and fourth goals to put them back in front, then make the game safe.

"I am delighted for Ciaran, he looked razor sharp and his finishing was superb,” Weaver added.

"The one where he bent the ball around the defender and into the bottom corner showed real class.

"And this comes after what has been a stop-start pre-season for him because he’s had a couple of niggles, which makes his contribution all the more pleasing.”