Harrogate Town 3 Tamworth FC 1: Simon Weaver enjoys a more incisive display
Simon Weaver was thrilled to see his Harrogate Town side play with far more incisiveness in the final third as they came from behind to beat Tamworth on Saturday afternoon.
The Sulphurites recovered from falling behind early on to run out comfortable winners at Wetherby Road thanks to goals from Bailey Hobson, Will McGowan and Josh Hmami.
Just as was the case in their previous home game, against Gateshead, Town found themselves up against opponents who were content to sit deep and keep men behind the ball for long periods.
But, on this occasion Weaver’s men did not have to rely on a slightly fortuitous late own goal from a set-piece to take all three points, and were rewarded for showing real attacking intent.
“We showed our desire to score goals,” the Harrogate boss said. “I think that we are at our best when we show composure and work the ball, but as opposed to the Gateshead game, there was a bit more of us going through fourth and fifth gear.
"We were a bit more tentative then, and almost trying to walk the ball in. This was going for it. Can we penetrate? Can we show our teeth?
"We were looking to play to our strengths but show that bit more penetration at times and go through the gears in the final third. And I thought that we did that.
"When it is free-flowing like that, that is the team that we want to be. And it isn’t half attractive when it comes off.”
Town fell behind with just six minutes on the clock after captain Warren Burrell dithered on the ball deep inside his own half and was dispossessed.
That mistake presented Ben Milnes with the opportunity to take aim from around 20 yards out, and his low strike beat debutant Luke Hutchinson and went in via the base of the post.
The hosts were however back on terms by the quarter-of-an-hour mark.
Bailey Hobson drove through the centre of midfield and exchanged passes with Josh Hmami before bursting into the penalty area and sliding a composed finish across Jas Singh.
Firmly in the ascendancy, Harrogate moved ahead just before half-time when Lewis Cass cut the ball inside from the right flank to Will McGowan, who quickly worked an angle to bent a low edge-of-the-box effort inside the far upright.
With Town really purring during the early stages of the second period, they made the game safe on 63 minutes.
Hmami and McGowan converged on a Tamworth man as the visitors attempted to play out from the back, and the latter then slipped the former in on goal to beat Singh with ease.
Victory keeps the Sulphurites second in the National League standings with 16 points to their name from their opening seven matches.