Harrogate Railway need to 'stick together' after seeing title bid dented by back-to-back losses
Rob Youhill has urged his Harrogate Railway players to “stick together” as they bid to bounce back from consecutive defeats.
Having lost just one of their opening 24 NCEL Division One fixtures, the Starbeck outfit headed into 2026 second in the table and knowing that they could overtake leaders Dearne & District if they won their games in hand.
But, a shock 3-0 reverse at the hands of Route One Rovers was followed by a 4-3 loss to Doncaster City on Saturday, leaving the Rail 15 points off the pace in the race for the division’s one automatic promotion spot.
So, although they have completed four matches less than Dearne, Railway’s fate is no longer in their own hands at this moment in time.
And boss Youhill has outlined what he wants his team to do in a bid to get their title challenge back on track.
“Saturday’s defeat was hard to take,” he said. “I hate losing, which hasn’t happened that much this year, but this is proving to be a difficult part of the season for us.
"This is a challenge and we are struggling right now, and it is going to take a collective effort to get out of this little sticky patch where things are not going particularly well for us.
"Every team and every manager will understand what I am going through, what we are going through as a team, because everyone has bad times. But it is about how you get through it that will make or break us.
"We are not going to fall out, we are going to stick together, and we are always dangerous [going forwards], but we are really going to have to step it up.”
Having fallen behind to a Michael Jones goal in the sixth minute, Railway hit back when Brad Walker found the net midway through the first half.
Ben Parkes fired the visitors in front five minutes later, only to then score an own goal which levelled matters shortly before half-time.
Harry Lynn struck just after the hour-mark to restore the Rail lead, however Doncaster’s Samuel Giles was able to make it 3-3 on 77 minutes.
And with five minutes remaining, Zavier Elkin-Sheppard bagged what proved to be the winner.
Third-placed Railway return to action this Saturday when they visit top-of-the-table Dearne for a 3pm kick-off.