Simon Weaver urges his Harrogate Town players to "keep believing"

Following on from back-to-back home losses to Forest Green Rovers and Northampton, the Sulphurites were edged out 1-0 at Sutton United on Saturday despite controlling the game for long periods.

That run of fixtures has pitted Town against the division's current top-three and although a series of defensive lapses saw them end up on the wrong end of a 4-1 scoreline against leaders Forest Green, the Wetherby Road outfit have played some decent football in each contest.

Thus, having proved that they can mix it with the best League Two has to offer, Weaver insists that his troops should feel encouraged and will head into the New Year in optimistic frame of mind.

"We've just got to keep believing. This game was here for the taking if we had just shown that real belief for the entirety of it, not just in the second half," he said following the full-time whistle at Sutton.

"We played alright first half but there were still a few more gears to go through. We went through the gears to a certain extent second half and that's why we were in the ascendancy for large parts.

"We've had a couple of defeats against Northampton and Forest Green, who are top teams, where there was very little to choose between us, but we caused our own problems. On Saturday, we didn't cause our own problems, we just didn't have that ruthless edge.

"It's about having the right mentality, that belief in the camp. I know there is more to come from these lads and fine lines have divided us in the games we've lost, so we can keep on believing, keep on going forward together.

"We are a step up in class, in my opinion, from where we were this time last year and it's a tight league, we're not many points off the play-offs. There's plenty of room for optimism in 2022."

Town remain 10th in the League Two standings despite Saturday's loss.