Harrogate Town 3 Mansfield Town 0: Simon Weaver 'overjoyed' for his players as 'deserved' win arrives at last

The Sulphurites put visiting Mansfield to the sword at a wet Wetherby Road on Saturday afternoon, netting three times before half-time as they registered just their second League Two win in 15 attempts.

Weaver’s men have produced some eye-catching football in recent weeks, but taken just two points from the previous 15 on offer.

Everything would however come together on this occasion, with Alex Pattison and Luke Armstrong (2) finishing clinically to lift their side three points clear of the drop zone.

“I can definitely enjoy that performance and result and I am just overjoyed for the players,” the Town boss told the Harrogate Advertiser.

“They’ve all kept their heads up and although we are aware that this is just one win and three points, it is a really good win against very good opposition, and the lads deserved the 3-0 scoreline.

“I think it’s been coming, this win. You are almost aching for the players for today to be the day that they go on to get a scoreline which reflects their level of performance – and today was that day.

"So, everyone can breathe a sigh of relief because, as good as we’ve been playing, you are judged on your results and players are aware that we needed a win.

"I’ve seen teams play a lot worse than we’ve been playing and win, but it just hasn’t been going for us and you don’t want that to continue because eventually it does undermine confidence. So this is something to build on now, it hopefully breeds even more belief in this system and how we want to play.”

Town remembered the late Johnny Walker before kick-off with the long-time Sulphurites fan’s name chanted by sections of the home support during a minute’s applause.

And the hour-and-a-half of football which followed could hardly have been a greater tribute to a man who followed the club home and away for more than seven decades.

The deadlock was broken with just five minutes on the clock as the ever-improving Danny Grant led a devastating counter-attack, breaking at pace down the middle of the pitch.

He then slipped the ball left to Alex Pattison, who cut onto his right foot before curling an accomplished finish around Christy Pym and inside the far post.

The home lead was doubled on 19 minutes when Joe Mattock showed great strength to outmuscle a Stags player and steal the ball before sending Armstrong clear with a perfectly-weighted pass in behind.

Showing great confidence for a player who had managed just one goal from open play in his previous 26 appearances, the outcome never looked in any doubt as the Town striker calmly slotted beyond Pym.

Two goals to the good though they were, Harrogate didn’t have things all their own way with Mansfield asking some questions of the home defence during the spell that followed.

Pete Jameson did superbly to tip Anthony Hartigan’s edge-of-the-box effort over the top before Hiram Boateng bent a strike narrowly wide.

Oliver Hawkins then nodded an inviting Hartigan delivery into the turf and over, while Lucas Akins took advantage of a Mattock slip to sting the palms of Jameson.

The afternoon’s third goal would however materialise at the other end of the field as the hosts made the points safe three minutes into first-half stoppage-time.

It was Grant again who was the creator-in-chief, cutting in off the left and finding Headley inside the box. Despite losing his footing, Town’s left-back managed to slide a low ball to the front post where Armstrong nipped in to net with a real poacher’s finish.

Stephen Quinn missed a glorious chance to pull a goal back for Mansfield shortly after the resumption, clearing the cross-bar when it looked easier to score.

Having seen off a brief spell of Stags pressure, Harrogate reclaimed the ascendancy and began to really turn the screw, Pattison nodding a Josh Falkingham cross wide before Headley’s thunderbolt drew a good stop out of Pym.

A short-corner routine almost led to the visitors reducing the deficit on 70 minutes, Jameson making another big save to keep out Akins’ back-heel at point-blank range.

And Mansfield came closer still in the dying moments of the contest, Hewitt crossing from the right and picking out Swan, whose header came back off the bar.