Harrgogate Town's win over Bradford City is 'right up there' with the club's greatest results, says Simon Weaver

A mid-table team in the sixth tier of English football as recently as 2017, Simon Weaver's men went to Bradford City on Monday evening and outplayed their hosts on their way to a richly-deserved 1-0 victory in front of live Sky Sports cameras.

During his post-match press duties, Town's manager described their achievement on the night as "magical", though it is really just the tip of the iceberg.

Having secured promotion to the National League for the first time in their history just over two years ago and twice qualified for the play-offs in that division, Town have gone into overdrive in terms of their progress during the last three months.

A 106-year wait for a first trip to Wembley ended this summer before the club went on to seal a first-ever promotion to the Football League (EFL) when they schooled Notts County - the oldest professional association football club in the world - in front of the famous arch in early August.

Their maiden outing as a member of the EFL ended in a dramatic penalty shoot-out success at Tranmere Rovers, a win which set up a dream Carabao Cup second round trip to West Bromwich Albion of the Premier League.

Sandwiched in between those fixtures was Harrogate's League Two debut, a visit to Southend United. Weaver's troops routed the Shrimpers 4-0 to end the opening weekend of 2020/21 top of the table.

Fast forward exactly one month and the Sulphurites were turning over Bradford in their own back yard, recording a result that the man who has masterminded their rise up the leagues rates as being on par with some of their greatest feats.

"We were on the coach on the way here and I said 'wow, if we could win tonight that result would be right up there', because it is Bradford City at the end of the day," Weaver told the Harrogate Advertiser.

"This club was playing Premier League football not all that long ago, they've got an incredible history.

"You walk out at Valley Parade and even without the fans you look and think 'this is just amazing, the stadium we are playing in'.

"But, we've earned the right not to be starry-eyed anywhere we go this season and we weren't here, so I'm delighted. To come here and win playing the way we have, it's a magical feeling."

Lloyd Kerry's 74th-minute finish from a Jack Muldoon cross would ultimately decide the contest, one which saw Town enjoy the lion's share of possession and play the better football.

But, that they eventually came out on top owed just as much to the desire and intensity with which they operated as the quality of their play.

"I'm ecstatic for the players because they really drove each other on," Weaver added.

"They came in at half-time and were 'saying we've got to do this, we've got to do that, we've got to do more' and I just had to tell them 'woah, have a banana and a sip of water and chill out, we'll go again in 15 minutes - don't wear yourselves out.

"But such is the desire and that culture of just wanting more and more, they were relentless and saw the job through.

"They just won't be denied. Of course, we will lose some games, but hopefully it won't be many because the desire will see us through.

"That intensity and tempo is the trademark of this team. We had 25 attempts on goal against Bradford, however, so we just need to start converting a few more to make it a bit easier for us on the sideline."