Simon Weaver hopeful that Harrogate Town can use positives from FA Cup display to help bring wretched league run to an end

The Sulphurites suffered a fifth consecutive defeat when they went down 3-2 at Field Mill on Saturday afternoon and also shipped three goals for the fourth game in succession.

But the men from Wetherby Road did at least give a decent account of themselves following a poor showing at Colchester, then an even worse performance at home to bottom-of-the-table Newport.

And with Mansfield pushing for a League One play-off spot and unbeaten in five games in the division above, Weaver insists that his players have every right to feel buoyed by the way in which they acquitted themselves at the weekend.

He is also confident that Town are now in a position to be able to “draw a line under” what has been a wretched run of form.

"Hopefully, Saturday is the end of that recent run of games where we have been losing,” Weaver said. “There are moments to improve on, but hopefully we can now draw a line under that recent run.

"I thought it was a really good performance, and night and day from Newport last week. It was a passionate cup display and we took the game to Mansfield.

"I thought that at 2-2, we were in the ascendancy and looking the better team. And that’s no mean feat, when you look at the quality of Mansfield’s squad. I’ve seen some of their performances and it was always going to be difficult for us to meet them at this moment in time.

"But that is why I am saying that we can hopefully draw a line under the two previous performances. We have lost four [in the league], where two were good performances, then two were bad, but we can still be a very good team this season.

“This result should lift the group, but we have to take this forward now. These are good lads and they want to do well, but we have to summon that spirit.”

For Weaver, the most pleasing aspect of Town’s display was their reaction to falling behind early on, and how they then bounced back again after a cruel deflection saw Mansfield retake the lead.

"The reaction to their goals was massive for me and massive for the group,” he added. "We reacted as men, as grown-ups on Saturday.

"We’ve talked a lot about resilience and reacting to disappointment because for probably a game and a half, there have been two or three – and that’s all it takes in a team environment – who have maybe felt a bit sorry for themselves.

“We are having a bit of a spell, and you only get yourselves out of that by sorting that out, getting the mindset strong and being mature about it.”

It was all too easy for Mansfield to break the deadlock early on at the One Call Stadium, as one pass down their left flank presented Stephen McLaughlin with time and space to deliver a low cross into the Town penalty area.

And, despite their being three Harrogate defenders on the edge of their six-yard box, it was somehow Regan Hendry who made first contact with the ball as he rammed a finish through the exposed Mark Oxley.

But, the Sulphurites did not capitulate as they have done in recent weeks, and were rewarded for staying in the game when they levelled matters 10 minutes into the second half.

Reece Smith helped the ball over the top of the home defence and Jack Muldoon ran in behind before pulling back for Stephen Duke-McKenna to drill an unstoppable, first-time strike into the top corner.

Mansfield would however retake the lead 11 minutes later in extremely fortuitous fashion as George Maris’ shot from outside the box took a massive deflection off one of two Harrogate defenders who threw their bodies in front of him, then looped over Oxley.

Again, Town hit back, with centre-half Anthony O’Connor nodding home Smith’s right-wing corner at the near post to make it 2-2 on 80 minutes.

Unfortunately for Harrogate, they were undone again just three minutes later, as a neat bit of Stags interplay around the edge of their penalty area ended with Maris slotting home a calm finish to settle matters.

Weaver and his men return to action this Saturday when they entertain Oldham Athletic at Wetherby Road (3pm).