Scunthorpe United v Harrogate Town: We have a 'point to prove', says Simon Weaver

The Sulphurites produced what manager Simon Weaver described as their “worst display of the season” when they were thrashed 5-2 by the Iron at Wetherby Road in early December.

Ravaged by injury and suspension, battle-weary Town only had enough fit bodies to name four players on their substitutes’ bench that night, though having done plenty of business during the January transfer window , Weaver feels that his team is now well-equipped to go to Glanford Park and avenge their heaviest loss since promotion to the Football League.

“They’re the only team that has battered us. It was a long, hard night and they’ll probably see our name come up as their next fixture and think ‘that was an easy scalp earlier in the season,” he said.

“But, it’s fair to say that the lads had hit a brick wall energy-wise at the time. They were just so tired and we didn’t have the quality in depth or the strength in depth in terms of numbers.

“But, we have got that now and we go there as a differentoutfit. We want to compete from first minute to last because the last game against them they beat us up from first minute to last, so we’ve got a point to prove – that was our worst performance of the season.

“But, we look rejuvenated now and we go there off the back of three wins from four and looking forward to the challenge.”

Town stood tall and overcame an ultra-direct Carlisle United outfit in midweek, though Weaver is expecting a different type of League Two encounter on Saturday.

“I don’t expect them to be as direct as Carlisle were, I think they’ll mix it up,” he added.

“Scunthorpe have enough physicality, but they’ve got the widemen who we struggled with last time, and we know that Neil Cox will look to turn us and get them in behind. So, we haven’t to be caught by surprise by that like we were last time we played them.

"I believe that honesty is the best policy and obviously I'll be saying to the lads that we have to be better than we were in the last game against Scunthorpe to be in contention of getting the points.

"We must make sure we are right on it because if we're not then they have good enough players to hurt you."

Though Weaver does not expect Scunthorpe to employ the same tactics as title-chasing Carlisle did on Tuesday night, one thing that the two teams do have in common is their lack of game-time heading into showdowns with the Sulphurites.

The Cumbrians had not played in a fortnight prior to visiting Wetherby Road, while postponements and the abandonment of their recent home meeting with Bradford City due to snow mean that United last completed a competitive fixture on January 29.

The Iron's recent form is however excellent. They have won all of their previous three matches without conceding a single goal in the process.