Harrogate Town v Gillingham FC: Struggling Sulphurites go in search of elusive victory

The Sulphurites currently sit second from bottom of League Two having failed to come out on top in any of their previous 16 matches.

They have managed a paltry return of just four points from the last 48 on offer, though none of those have been gained on home soil, where Simon Weaver's men are without a victory in seven attempts.

What is worse, is the fact that Town haven't even scored a league goal in front of their own fans for more than 10.5 hours of football, a dismal run which stretches all the way back as far as early October.

Since beating Shrewsbury 2-0 at the Exercise Stadium on September 20, Harrogate have lost seven on the bounce on their own patch, a sequence of results that has derailed what looked like it had the potential to be a positive campaign, and left them staring relegation in the face.

The Sulphurites haven't won a league fixture anywhere since their 1-0 success over this weekend's opponents almost four months ago.

But, although Gillingham have struggled for wins themselves since that loss to Town, they travel to North Yorkshire 14th in the table and some 17 points better off than their hosts.

They did manage to score twice in stoppage time as they came from behind to beat Newport 3-2 last time out, however that was the Gills' first triumphs in 10 League Two outings and only their second in 15.

Gareth Ainsworth's side have tasted victory in just three of their 12 away league games and have lost both of their previous two on the road.

September's 1-0 success at Priestfield in September extended Town's impressive record in recent showdowns with Gillingham and left them unbeaten in the four previous meetings of the clubs.

Last term, the teams drew 1-1 at Wetherby Road following Harrogate's 2-1 win down in Kent earlier in the season.

When the Gills visited in 2023/24, they were thrashed 5-1 following a sensational second-half showing by Weaver's charges, with their only other previous trip to tackle the Sulphurites ending goalless in March 2023.

On-loan Brighton & Hove Albion left-back Jacob Slater comes back into contention this Saturday following his three-match ban for the controversial red card he received during December’s loss at Accrington.

But, midfielder Jack Evans will miss out due to suspension having been sent off at Shrewsbury last weekend for two bookable offences.

Defender Liam Gibson and midfielder Tom Hill are closing in on a return to action and could come into contention against Gillingham, with winger Ellis Taylor also not too far away, according to Weaver.

However, centre-backs Bobby Faulkner and Tom Bradbury, midfielders Ben Fox and Levi Sutton, and forward Stephen Duke-McKenna remain on Harrogate’s long-term casualty list.

Boss Weaver will also miss out as he serves a one-game touchline ban following his sending off after the final whistle at Shrewsbury.