Harrogate Town v Grimsby Town: Sulphurites not setting points target for festive period

Having gone more than three weeks without a match due to a couple of weather-enforced postponements, the Sulphurites are set to play three times in the space of just six days between December 26 and New Year’s Day.

Currently 20th in League Two, Simon Weaver’s men host 14th-placed Grimsby on Boxing Day, travel to Yorkshire rivals Bradford City (8th) just 72 hours later, then kick-off 2023 at third-from-bottom Hartlepool United.

The Town chief is a firm believer that a team’s form over Christmas can have a huge bearing on their season as a whole, but says that he is reluctant to put too much pressure on his players heading into Monday’s showdown with the Mariners.

“We haven’t set ourselves a target for this period, but obviously there is always pressure to pick up points in football,” Weaver told the Harrogate Advertiser.

"It is however good pressure right now because we are coming off the back of consecutive league wins and we really want to make it three on the spin- which is a positive situation to be in.

"As I have said before, it doesn’t matter which league you are in, at any level of football three wins in a row is a big achievement, it means you are definitely on the move.

"We know it will be very tough against Grimsby, but if we could beat them and make it three straight victories, then we could look to attack the next three fixtures in a better and more positive frame of mind than we’ll have been in all season.

"But, it’s one game at a time and I don’t want the players heading into Boxing Day with too much going around in their brains. The important thing is that we walk onto the pitch and play with real intent, we get on the front foot and are positive because we are at home and we want to deliver for our supporters, who haven’t been able to watch their team play for a few weeks now.”

Town’s last competitive outing was at Rochdale on December 3, a game which they won 4-1 following on from a 3-0 success over Mansfield in their previous home fixture.

Recent games against Northampton and Doncaster Rovers subsequently fell foul of the cold weather.

On Saturday’s postponement in South Yorkshire, Weaver said: “It was the right decision to call it off, without question.

"I went over to the stadium that morning and walked around the pitch with their manager and the referee. It clearly wasn’t fit.

"Fair play to the referee, there was some sunshine on Friday, so we were hopeful, and he wanted to give us as much time as possible before we came to a decision.

"But all three of us were in agreement. There were plenty of soft areas, but the whole pitch has to be alright for the players.

"There were some frozen patches near the touchline on the dug-out side of the pitch and areas in one of the six-yard boxes were like concrete, so it wouldn’t have been in any way safe to play on.”

Harrogate’s home meeting with Northampton has been rescheduled for Tuesday February 28, 7.45pm kick-off.