Harrogate Town v Accrington Stanley: Sulphurites go in search of first win in nine league matches

Harrogate Town can escape the League Two relegation zone if they manage to deliver a first win in nine attempts when they host Accrington Stanley on Tuesday evening (7.45pm).

The struggling Sulphurites are without a victory in their eight previous league matches, but moved to within a point of safety thanks to a useful draw away at Barnet last time out.

Harrogate Town boast an excellent record against Accrington Stanley in League Two matches played at Wetherby Road, having won both of the previous two encounters between the sides by a 2-1 score-line. Picture: Matt Kirkham

placeholder image — Harrogate Town boast an excellent record against Accrington Stanley in League Two matches played at Wetherby Road, having won both of the previous two encounters between the sides by a 2-1 score-line. Picture: Matt Kirkham

A share of the spoils in midweek would be enough to lift Simon Weaver’s men out of the bottom two should any of the four sides who sit just a single point ahead of them in the table lose on game week 19, though Town do rather need a league success as a matter of urgency.

It is more than two months since they last won a League Two fixture - 1-0 away at Gillingham in late September - and that run of form has taken its toll, with confidence and belief evidently lacking during a number of recent performances.

By contrast, visiting Accrington head into Tuesday’s contest in fine fettle, unbeaten as they are in five league outings, and having tasted defeat in just one of their previous seven.

Last time out, they beat Oldham Athletic 1-0 on home soil, but the good news for Harrogate is that only one of the Reds' five league successes this term have come on the road - against MK Dons in September.

And their overall away form is among the worst in the division, having yielded just six points from a possible 27.

The problem for Town, is that they have been dreadful at Wetherby Road of late, losing each of their last four home league games, and failing to even score a goal in any of the previous three.

History is at least on their side, with the Sulphurites having won both of their previous home league encounters with Accrington.

On Boxing Day 2023, George Thomson popped up with a dramatic stoppage-time winner to seal a 2-1 success, while last term's meeting between the sides also finished 2-1 after Josh March decided matters with a 58th-minute strike.

Harrogate head into Tuesday’s fixture with a huge injury list, though six-goal leading scorer Stephen Duke-McKenna will return to their squad having recovered from the illness which ruled him out of last week’s EFL Trophy win over League One Blackpool.

And centre-half Tom Bradbury has now resumed full training and comes into contention for a place in Weaver’s squad.