Harrogate Town must 'dig deep' if they are to overcome 'biggest test' as a Football League club

`The Sulphurites’ 2-0 home defeat to Salford City on New Year’s Day was their sixth loss in seven matches, a run of form which has seen them collect just one point from a possible 21 and slump to 22nd place in the League Two standings.

Now just two points clear of the relegation zone, Town’s injury-ravaged squad looks completely devoid of confidence at the moment – and to be lacking the required quality to actually have a chance of winning games of football.

Weaver has already moved to bring in experienced midfielder Bryn Morris from Newport County and suggested that more new faces will follow during the January transfer window.

But, in addition to signing reinforcements and getting his walking wounded back onto the field, the Harrogate chief has stressed that character is key to preventing 2024/25 from “unravelling”.

He said: "We have got nine players in the treatment room so it’s a tough test right now, and it would be for anyone with our resources.

"This is our biggest test since we came up to this level, but we are proud of how we got here. We have done it on spirit and we don’t lose our spirit quickly here, we just dig in.

“So we have just got to dig deep and not feel sorry for ourselves and sulk and then really unravel.

"The options aren’t there [in terms of playing personnel] but I can’t wallow in self pity because it’s not going to get us points.

"You’ve just got to switch off the emotion and think ‘well, it is what it is’ and we move on to Barrow and challenge the players to keep getting better at what they are good at.”

On exactly what needs to change in order for Town to start picking up positive results, Weaver added: "We have got to do better, every single one of us, and keep working hard and making sure that we are competitive.

"I think that we have been competitive in all of these recent games, but we have got to find an edge in both boxes. It is a war of attrition the majority of the time in League Two.

"This can’t be a rabbit in the headlights moment, it has to be pure clarity. We have to look after ourselves to make sure that we can function properly and then go at it in the next game and be optimistic about our chances.

"We will just keep digging in and, to be fair, I have got good characters around me who might be disappointed for a minute, but first thing in the morning we’ll go ‘right, come on then, let’s prove people wrong, again’.”

Town return to action this Saturday when they visit 15th-placed Barrow for a 3pm kick-off.