Harrogate Town V Barrow AFC: Sulphurites aim to end winless run on home soil

The Sulphurites have not tasted victory at Wetherby Road since they beat Grimsby 3-2 in dramatic fashion on Boxing Day, more than two-and-a-half months ago.

Since that success over the Mariners, Town have lost to Colchester United, Sutton United and Stockport County and drawn against Stevenage, Crewe, Northampton and Gillingham, avoiding defeat in each of their last three outings at the EnviroVent Stadium.

But, after last weekend’s dismal 3-1 defeat at second-from-bottom Crawley dragged Harrogate right back into the dogfight at the foot of the table, ending that long sequence of matches without success on home soil this weekend would provide the most timely of boosts.

For manager Simon Weaver, his players’ failure to do the business in front of their own fans is a matter of “professional pride”, though he insists that he has not laboured the point regarding their recent run.

“It’s obviously something that we need to address and it’s certainly been on my mind in recent weeks,” the Town boss told the Harrogate Advertiser.

“I haven’t been trying to engrain it into players' psychie or talking about it non-stop because I don’t want to get them worrying about the run of games without a win at home.

“But of course it is a matter of professional pride for me and I’m sure it is for the lads as well because this is a group who really care.

“We’re a team that has been capable of and used to winning at home on a regular basis in previous seasons. That is what our two promotions were built on.

“But, at this level, as a Football League club, we are yet to establish our home ground as a fortress and that has to be the aim moving forward as we look to progress.”

Town’s defeat to fellow strugglers Crawley last time out was their first in four matches and only their second in nine, though they have won only once during that period.

Barrow, meanwhile, are unbeaten in five games and will arrive in North Yorkshire 10th in the League Two standings, just four points off the play-off spots.

Weaver expects to have a largely unchanged squad at his disposal this weekend, with only the suspended Toby Sims confirmed as definitely been missing from the group that travelled to Crawley last time out.

And his three-game ban means that either Warren Burrell or George Thomson are expected to come into the Sulphurites’ starting line-up and deputise at right-back.

“It should be the same squad as we took to Crawley apart from Toby, who is banned,” Weaver added.

"Unless we were of the mind to match Barrow up and change formation to three at the back then it's more than likely going to be one of Warren or Thommo who will come in.

“But there won't be seismic change as far as the team is concerned, it causes upheaval and I just don’t feel it is required.”

Town lost out 1-0 up in Cumbria earlier this season but have come out on top in both of their previous home League Two clashes with the Bluebirds.

Jack Muldoon scored the only goal of the game in 2020/21, while Alex Pattison’s second-half brace saw Weaver’s men recover from Offrande Zanzala’s early opener to win last term’s clash at Wetherby Road by a 2-1 scoreline.