Simon Weaver insists he fancied Harrogate Town to shock Wrexham AFC in FA Cup first round

Jack Muldoon’s 24th-minute header proved sufficient for the League Two Sulphurites to upset opponents who currently sit third in the division above and are chasing a third consecutive promotion under their big-spending Hollywood owners, Ryan Reynolds and Rob McElhenney.

And although Weaver’s men ended up being good value for their 1-0 success, they progressed to the competition’s second round against the odds, having come into Sunday’s tie as big underdogs.

Not only were they up against opponents blessed with a squad packed full of League One and Championship-level quality and experience, Town also headed into the fixture in fairly ordinary form.

They had won just one of their previous six matches in all competitions, having scored just twice during that period and were without a victory in any of their previous three outings.

Their performance during a 1-0 defeat at Notts County last time out was dreadful. Far too negative in terms of game-plan and approach, they showed their opponents far too much respect and ended up going down without really putting up any kind of a fight.

But, on Sunday afternoon, set up in a far more adventurous 4-4-2 system, Harrogate met the Red Dragons head on and – although they undoubtedly rode their luck at times – were rewarded for that bolder approach with what boss Weaver has described as a “famous win.”

Just as was the case during League Two triumphs over Yorkshire rivals Bradford City and Doncaster Rovers earlier this term that were also broadcast live to the nation, the Sulphurites again raised their game in front of the television cameras and managed to come out on top in a fixture they were expected to lose.

Their manager, however, insists that he fancied an upset based on what he witnessed during the build-up to the game, having revealed that his players had been “champing at the bit” and “raring to go all week”.

Speaking after the full-time whistle at Wetherby Road, a beaming Weaver said: “There were a few scary moments, but there was a vibe in training this week that made me very confident that the team would stand a chance of winning this game.

"It might have seemed improbable for other people to believe because of where Wrexham are, but we’ve got a good group of honest people on the pitch and they gave their all. When they give their all like that and we play with such intensity, we stand a chance.

"All week, there’s been a positive vibe in the changing room and on the training pitch. They have trained with such intensity and with clarity as well.

"The plan was to be aggressive against a very good team, and if you go out, you go out. But, if you’re right on it and they have any switch-off moment you have to be there to capitalise – and we were.

“I thought it was a magnificent effort from the players from start to finish. I thought that we were intense, and when we rode our luck I felt that we deserved it.”