Oldham Athletic v Harrogate Town: Sulphurites need 'another big performance', says Reece Smith
Reece Smith says Harrogate Town have to produce “another big performance” if they are to escape the League Two drop zone by getting a result at in-form Oldham Athletic this weekend.
The Sulphurites climbed off the bottom of the table courtesy of Tuesday’s comprehensive 3-0 win at Tranmere Rovers, with that victory leaving them just a point from safety.
Thus, avoiding defeat at Boundary Park on Saturday (3pm) could be sufficient to lift Simon Weaver’s men out of the relegation places if results elsewhere go their way.
And although winger Smith knows that he and his team-mates will be very much up against it when they take on a Latics side who have won six of their last seven, he believes that Town head into the contest in a decent place themselves.
"The last eight or nine games, we’ve played some good football, and although we have got some results, we’ve been unlucky in certain games when we just haven’t taken our chances,” the 23-year-old told BBC Radio York, following his wonder goal at Prenton Park.
"We’ve known that we have been playing well, we just haven’t been clinical enough – and that was the difference on Tuesday. It all just sort of came together really nicely.
“I feel like we deserved it and it’s a massive win. I’m really happy for all the boys.
“It’s massive because it sends a big signal out to the rest of the league that we are in the fight and we ain’t going to roll over for anyone.
“It couldn’t have gone any better at Tranmere, but we need another big performance on Saturday.”
While Town remain trapped inside the bottom two, Oldham have enjoyed an impressive first season back in the Football League and head into the weekend 25 points and 12 places better off than their visitors.
Comfortably mid-table and much closer to the play-off places rather than the scrap at the wrong end of the division, the Latics have been in fine form of late, particularly at home.
They have won each of their previous three outings at Boundary Park without conceding a single goal, and are unbeaten there in their last four.
Harrogate do however boast a decent record at Oldham, having won on both of their two previous visits.
In October 2021, they triumphed 2-1 thanks to goals from Jack Diamond and Luke Armstrong.
Back on Boxing Day of the previous year they came out on top by the same score-line after George Thomson bagged a superb brace.