Harrogate Town opinion: Mansfield Town win proves things are starting to come together

Harrogate Town players join in a minute's applause held in memory of Sulphurites supporter Johnny Walker before Saturday's League Two clash with Mansfield Town. Picture: Matt KirkhamHarrogate Town players join in a minute's applause held in memory of Sulphurites supporter Johnny Walker before Saturday's League Two clash with Mansfield Town. Picture: Matt Kirkham
Harrogate Town players join in a minute's applause held in memory of Sulphurites supporter Johnny Walker before Saturday's League Two clash with Mansfield Town. Picture: Matt Kirkham
Harrogate Town supporter Dave Worton’s latest weekly fan column.

Unwittingly pre-empting the World Cup, the fourth official’s board shows five additional minutes. Harrogate Town are already two goals to the good against visiting Mansfield, hopefully they can keep it tight and see it out to the break.

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"Plenty of time for them to score another,” I say, partly tongue-in-cheek to my work colleague stood next to me in the Black Sheep Brewery Stand. It’s his first visit to Wetherby Road, the atmosphere’s cracking and he’s been impressed with the quality of the football so far.

Three minutes later, Danny Grant attacks down the left yet again and slides the ball to his overlapping fellow Huddersfield loanee Jaheem Headley. Our marauding full-back slips on the greasy surface and, for a split second, it looks like the chance has gone.

Harrogate Town supporter Dave Worton, left, and his daughter, Molly, outside Wetherby Road.Harrogate Town supporter Dave Worton, left, and his daughter, Molly, outside Wetherby Road.
Harrogate Town supporter Dave Worton, left, and his daughter, Molly, outside Wetherby Road.

But, he still manages to stick a leg out and squares to Luke Armstrong to tap in his second and Town’s third. Mansfield boss Nigel Clough buries his head in his hands on the opposing touchline.

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"You called it,” says my friend who must be thinking of asking me for the lottery numbers. Surely we can’t let this one slip.

Town not only don’t let it slip, they keep a clean sheet. Pete Jameson doesn’t really have a difficult save to make in the second half, following his two flying stops at 2-0 that drew gasps of astonishment from people around me.

When the visitors do threaten, the crossbar and their own centre forward block goal-bound efforts. It must be our day.

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More importantly, Simon Weaver’s men don’t sit nervously back as in the Carlisle match and, having soaked up early second-half pressure, could easily be five in front if their first-period incisiveness in front of goal had continued.

I think we can forgive the players though, playing with a slimy ball on a slippery surface under a constant veneer of that annoying light rain which soaks everyone and everything to the skin.

Is there a finer sight at the moment than the effervescent Headley surging forward and letting fly from 20 yards?

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“That’s the Huddersfield head coach!" exclaims my friend’s son halfway through the second period as a man walks past us. A quick check of the internet confirms it to be the case.

He must be pleased with what he’s witnessing, so let’s hope there’s not an early release clause in Headley’s loan deal.

It’s been a long time coming, but Town’s much-improved recent performances are starting to bear fruit and, at last, the points tally reflects the performance.

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It’s a small victory for Weaver’s determination to fashion his new team in the style of the team that brought us up to this level, and a conquest for quiet patience over knee-jerk reaction.

If we sometimes rolled our eyes at his insistence in October that the team hadn’t yet gelled, it’s only because we cared and wondered whether it ever would. Well it has, and many of our young loanees and new signings have visibly grown in this division before our very eyes.

It is, however, only one win and we’re still too close to the bottom of the table for comfort. One smiling fan shouted to me not to write about Town challenging for promotion any time soon, and I think we can say there’s no danger of that.

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We can enjoy the moment, however, and some of the football I’ve seen the Sulphurites produce recently is up there with the best I’ve ever seen them play.

My work colleague, a Leeds fan, messaged me this morning to say that football’s a simple game, ‘quality pass, move, pass again a couple of times and you’re in on goal…’ He’s right of course, but the journey to get to that point can be long and fraught with complication.

It’s not been a straight forward path to get here. The manager has experimented with three centre-backs, the team’s been overly cautious and defensively sloppy at times, and I’ve lost count of the number of aimless long balls launched towards the head of an isolated Armstrong. But now, the formation seems right.

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We have a decent blend of youth and experience, pace and reading of the game, old and new. The team is now playing a passing game with forward menace.

I took great pleasure from witnessing Joe Mattock put Armstrong clean through with a low, precision pass for the second goal against the Stags.

More importantly, after coming up against a stronger team last week in the shape of Leyton Orient, the players didn’t lose their confidence to keep playing the same way.

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Fingers crossed this continues. Although if the players can maintain the same level of concentration and organisation in and out of possession, even when things aren’t going their way, we shouldn’t need to worry.

Finally, I wish to dedicate this column to the memory of the late Johnny Walker. Rest in peace, my dear friend. Town did you proud on Saturday.

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