Harrogate Town can learn valuable lessons from pre-season defeat to Gateshead FC

Kayne Ramsay in action during Harrogate Town's 2-0 pre-season defeat to Gateshead. Pictures: Matt Kirkham

Just three days on from putting six past National League North newcomers South Shields, the League Two Sulphurites lost out by a 2-0 score-line at the International Stadium.

The National League outfit netted twice in the space of seven minutes late on to earn themselves a result which Weaver felt their performance warranted.

And, although not overly worried by the outcome of the match, he said that his own side must learn from where they went wrong ahead of their 2023/24 curtain-raiser at Doncaster Rovers on August 5.

Harrogate Town manager Simon Weaver, right, watches on during Tuesday's clash at the International Stadium.

"I’m not too concerned, it’s another game and we edge closer,” Weaver reflected.

"It’s hard to read too much into pre-season, we are gearing up for a week on Saturday, as it edges closer we want to get more and more minutes under people’s belts.

"There were certain parts that were better than other parts but I thought that Gateshead were the better team on the night. They played with a real purpose.

"We have probably got to learn that sometimes, don’t add to our concerns by giving the ball away cheaply. It will happen sometimes but we have just got to make sure that we don’t concede, which we did second half, when we weren’t really in much trouble, but credit to Gateshead, I thought they played well.

"Perhaps, in a way, it wasn’t a bad game for us because there was a lot of running, a lot of pressing, and when we didn’t get it right, it was a lesson that we can’t do it in ones and twos, we have got to do it together, we have got to be compact against good footballing teams.

"We’ll keep working at full tilt until a couple of days before the start of the season.”

While Town’s fifth friendly outing of the summer ultimately ended in their second loss, Weaver said that he was more relieved to come through the match without picking up any injuries.

"It's important that we got more minutes into people’s legs and that there were no injuries, they are the big pluses for the night. I’d much rather lose the game with no injuries than win it but pick up a few.”

Town round off their pre-season fixture schedule when they head to National League Hartlepool United on Friday night, 7.30pm kick-off at Victoria Park.