Harrogate Town enjoy a season of genuine progress despite seeing play-off hopes ended by MK Dons

The Sulphurites headed into their penultimate fixture of 2023/24 harbouring slim hopes of sneaking into the top seven and would still be in the fight had they managed to hold on to two leads against visiting MK Dons.In the end, despite being 1-0 and 3-2 up, a series of uncharacteristic defensive ricks saw them lose out 5-3, that result preventing Town from taking their play-off quest into the final day.But, they have already broken their own records for most points and most wins in a Football League campaign and are also guaranteed their highest-ever League Two finish, regardless of what happens away at Salford City this weekend.And having spent last term embroiled in a gruelling scrap for survival and the two years previous battling away at the wrong end of the table, the fact that Harrogate have transformed themselves into genuine play-off contenders is something which Weaver views as an achievement in itself.

“I’d have taken this at the start of the season, I think that we have made massive strides. It has been a pleasure, really,” he said.

"I am proud and we wanted that after last season, which was quite exhausting, but we found a way to stay up in a hard league as we have done in the three years preceding this season.

"This year, we wanted to be looking upwards more. I had a little look at the bookmakers, who they had as favourites to go up and to go down, we were down there at the bottom again and you want to prove a point but still not be too focused on what anyone else thinks. It's about what our fans think, about what we think, and trying to find a way of getting good results and enough results to be looking upwards – and we managed to do that.

"We've made massive strides and I'm very very positive about our chances next season, but I'll rack my brain to try and find a way of getting this group to be better consistently in terms of achieving the outcomes we want.”

Abraham Odoh curled home the opening goal on 33 minutes after Matty Daly’s shot came back off the post, the first of five occasions on which Town struck the woodwork.

Two goals in quick succession from Alex Gilbey and Max Dean then saw the Dons turn the game on its head, only for Thomson to bend home a stunning long-range free-kick to level matters in first-half stoppage-time.

Four minutes into the second period, Thomson converted Odoh’s inviting cross from left at the far post, putting the hosts 3-2 up, though a catastrophic defensive mix-up just moments later gifted MK’s Stephen Wearne another equaliser.

Late strikes from Emre Tezgel and Ellis Harrison then decided the contest, leaving Weaver to rue what might have been.

"It was so pleasing on the eye for the majority of the game, we scored some good goals and then proceeded to throw it away really with mad moments defensively,” he reflected.

"I’m so disappointed with the score-line because we are judged on results. It’s mad to concede five when they've not really played through us. It was just bad decisions, really.

"We wanted to go 4-3-3 and press high with the intention of winning the ball back high up the pitch and stem the flow. And we did for long periods, but then the score-line would suggest otherwise.

"But, the feeling I got from most of the people who spoke to me after the end of the game was that there's an immense pride about the team, and about the way we've tried to play the game. It could have gone either way against a top team.”

Long-serving midfielder Thomson’s brace took his tally for the season to 16 goals in League Two and 18 in all competitions.

On the 31-year-old’s contribution, Weaver added: “He's been a star man, he has star quality and he's floating at the minute with his form.

"It is particularly rewarding seeing someone like Thommo, who has risen to the top of his game and just keeps pushing through barriers. He's an inspiration.

“I love the guy to bits, so I'd love him to be in the Harrogate Town shirt for years to come.”

Saturday’s defeat saw Town drop to 13th in the League Two standings, where they now sit five points shy of the division’s final play-off berth ahead of their final game of 2023/24.