Harrogate Town: What needs to happen on the final day of 2025/26 for Sulphurites to survive

Harrogate Town’s season comes down to one game – this Saturday’s crunch clash with Barnet.

Currently second-from-bottom of League Two, but only in the drop zone on goal difference from 22nd-placed Crawley, the Sulphurites are one of five teams who could be relegated on the final day of 2025/26.

Harrogate Town need to follow up their recent victories over Colchester United and Walsall with another positive result against Barnet this weekend. Pictures: Matt Kirkham

placeholder image — Harrogate Town need to follow up their recent victories over Colchester United and Walsall with another positive result against Barnet this weekend. Pictures: Matt Kirkham

Although not yet mathematically down, rock-bottom Barrow are extremely unlikely to survive given the huge swing in goal difference that would be required for them to overtake Crawley.

Thus, Saturday will see a four-way fight for salvation, with Town, the aforementioned Red Devils, 21st-placed Newport County and 20th-placed Tranmere Rovers all scrapping to avoid finishing inside the bottom two.

Simon Weaver and his Harrogate Town players take on Barnet this weekend in what will be their biggest game since they were promoted to the Football League almost six years ago.

Simon Weaver’s men currently have 39 points to their name, as do Crawley, while Newport and Tranmere both sit one better off on 40.

And although there are numerous permutations, the situation is fairly simple as far as Harrogate are concerned – they have to better the result of at least one of their three fellow strugglers to have a chance of survival.

In theory, they could actually lose to Barnet and still climb above Crawley, but only in the extremely unlikely event that the Sussex outfit lose by at least six goals.

A draw would be sufficient to save Town, provided that Crawley lose at home to fourth-placed Salford City, who need a victory to keep their hopes of automatic promotion alive, or Newport lose at Barrow.

A success for the Sulphurites would ensure that they do stay up, unless Crawley, Newport and Tranmere – at home to sixth-placed Grimsby – all manage to win.

But, beating a Barnet team who are ninth in the table, have only just missed out on the play-offs and thrashed Gillingham 6-2 last time out is not going to be easy.

The Bees are unbeaten in their previous eight matches and have won six of those fixtures, including each of their last four.

They have scored 23 goals during that run of games, while Harrogate have only managed 38 all season.

The last time the sides met, they played out a 1-1 draw in North London, Jack Muldoon heading home a second-half equaliser for Town.

The Sulphurites have come out on top in both of their previous two meetings with Barnet at Wetherby Road, 2-0 in August 2018, and 2-1 in October 2019.

Saturday’s fixture gets underway at the Exercise Stadium at 3pm.