Simon Weaver explains Harrogate Town's 'patient' approach to trying to break down Salford City

The Sulphurites did create four decent second-half openings as they sought to get back into the game following James Wilson's 17th-minute opener, though Ammies goalkeeper Václav Hladký was at no point seriously extended.

As the afternoon wore on, the watching home supporters doubtless expected that, at some point, their team would build up a head of steam, really crank up the heat and put Salford under a sustained spell of pressure. It just didn't happen.

That the proverbial kitchen sink was never thrown, was however a tactical decision, as boss Simon Weaver opted for a "patient" approach in an attempt to avoid his side being picked off at the opposite end of the field.

"We had five minutes of pressing a bit higher up the pitch and they popped it around us and so we just had to be patient," he told the Harrogate Advertiser.

"They had that much quality on the pitch. You know the scenario with Salford if you're naive and go two up front and let them have a spare man in midfield and let their widemen have space. There'd be too many gaps.

"We were exposed by Scunthorpe doing that and we weren't going to get exposed by Salford.

"We're trying to play a more mature game. At this level you get no freebies, you just have to have the quality at one end to be patient and prize people open with a moment of skill.

"I think that the fans were still with us and that they'll acknowledge that it was a good footballing performance. We just didn't have the quality in the final third."

Defeat leaves Harrogate 17th in the League Two standings.