Harrogate Town 2 Nottingham Forest U21s 1: 'Refreshing' display eases 'pressure' on Sulphurites

Anthony O'Connor, centre, is congratulated by Kayne Ramsay and Abraham Odoh after firing Harrogate Town into a two-goal lead against Nottingham Forest Under-21s. Pictures: Matt Kirkham

Simon Weaver said the "refreshing" nature of Harrogate Town's football during Tuesday night's EFL Trophy win over Nottingham Forest Under-21s has helped ease the “pressure” following a couple of disappointing results.

The Sulphurites were thrashed 8-0 in the League Cup by Blackburn Rovers last Wednesday, then followed that defeat with a rather toothless showing in Saturday's 1-0 League Two loss at home to Barrow.

But they were far brighter in possession against a Forest side featuring England international Callum Hudson-Odoi, going onto secure a deserved 2-1 success courtesy of goals from George Thomson and Anthony O'Connor.

"It's a super feeling," Weaver reflected. "I know that there are no points on the board, but it does take off the pressure that you bring on yourself.

"We just wanted a really refreshing performance and the emphasis just to be on passing.

"And I thought it was a really refreshing performance, I thought that we passed the ball really well and the lads expressed themselves.

"And it's not easy to do that after the last week or so where things have gone against us and we haven't performed so well - apart from in the second half on Saturday when we started passing the ball better.

"But, Tuesday was a lot closer to how we want to play moving forwards."

Following a goalless first half at Wetherby Road, Thomson broke the deadlock with a 56th-minute penalty.

Jack Muldoon missed from the spot during Saturday’s defeat to Barrow, but his team-mate made no mistake, dispatching a low effort into the bottom corner of the Forest net.

Goals from open play have been few and far between for Town so far this season, with just the one having been scored in eight matches prior to the visit of Forest.

But another did materialise on 82 minutes as substitute Kayne Ramsay cut the ball back from the right for centre-half O’Connor to sweep a neat finish into the top corner.

Esapa Osong pulled one back for the visitors moments later, but the Sulphurites were able to see the game out with their lead intact.

On his team’s improvements as an attacking force, Weaver added: "I thought that the approach play up to the final third was better, and there was definitely more quality on show.

"The emphasis was on being organised and staying connected out of possession - and by doing that we gave ourselves more chances to pass the ball. We tried to pinch people in so we were a bit narrower and I thought it was good.

"We were aiming to get the passing going and trying to take the emphasis away from a few different things, the worries, the fears and encourage them to pass it without being suicidal.

"I loved that passage of play [in the build-up to the opening goal]. It felt like something was going to happen at the end of it. It wasn't just passing sideways and backwards, we looked to probe and it was excellent on the eye, so I really enjoyed that."