Goal-shy Harrogate Town draw another blank at home, but Simon Weaver is staying positive

Shutting out League Two's most prolific team is no mean feat and, when you're a side just a handful of places above the drop zone, matching one of the club's fancied for promotion is not something to be sniffed at.

Throw in the fact that the Sulphurites had to play the last 20-odd minutes with just 10 men after left-back Warren Burrell was sent off for two bookable offences, it is easy to understand why manager Simon Weaver was so pleased with the outcome of the match.

But, for all the positives that be can taken from their performance, Town once again drew a blank in their own back yard.

It is now three games - more than 270 minutes - since Harrogate last rippled the back of the net at the EnviroVent Stadium.

This week's goalless draw follows on from successive 1-0 defeats to Forest Green Rovers and Salford City, and although they registered twice against Scunthorpe United on December 1, those strikes came in a game which they lost 5-2.

And, prior to that mauling by the Iron, Town had struck just twice in four outings as they failed to breach the defences of Stevenage and Tranmere Rovers.

All in all, Weaver's men have bagged just four league goals during the eight matches to be contested at the EnviroVent Stadium.

Unsurprisingly given that statistic, their Wetherby Road form is woeful and has earned them just six points from a possible 24, a return that provides serious cause for concern.

Weaver knows that his players must improve in front of goal, however he had no major issue with Town's attacking display against the Grecians.

"Of course we have to start picking up more points at home, and there have been some games here this season where we haven't done enough going forwards," he said.

"But, treating the Exeter game in isolation, I thought we did okay. We'd have liked to have tested their keeper a little bit more or got on the end of some dangerous crosses.

"We had one or two moments and deliveries from set-pieces where we got the first contact but didn't work the keeper.

"I thought that the overall performance was a good one, against very strong opposition and one that we can take a lot of confidence from. There were plenty of positives.

"In the previous home game, against Carlisle, we started ever so well and were a goal up inside a minute before it was abandoned. So, I don't think we are too far away from where we want to be."

Weaver's assessment of Tuesday's display is backed up by the match statistics. Town managed five shots on target to Exeter's one, and visiting goalkeeper Jonny Maxted was forced into good saves by Aaron Martin and Warren Burrell, as well as having to make more routine stops from George Thomson and Jack Muldoon efforts.

At the opposite end of the field, James Belshaw was never really seriously extended despite City enjoying 63.1 per cent possession.

Indeed, even when the hosts were reduced to 10 men, Weaver kept two up top in an attempt to ensure that his team still offered some kind of a threat going forwards.

"We went to 4-3-2 after Warren's red card because I think that if you go 4-4-1 you sometimes just end up inviting pressure onto yourselves," the Harrogate chief added.

"If you only have the one striker up the pitch then their two central defenders have got all the time they want and can just travel and travel and take them right up the pitch.

"We didn't want to keep dropping deeper and deeper and just be hanging in there. The players understand how to play in a 4-3-2 and I thought they handled the ball pretty well.

"There were a few occasions late on when, even though we were down to 10 men and Exeter were coming on strong, if we had got the final pass right, we would have been in on their goal."