Toby Sims praised for 'superb' showing during Harrogate Town's draw at Salford City

The 25-year-old defender made just his second start since joining the club at the start of the January transfer window and fared well on the right of the Sulphurites’ back-four.

His previous outing in Harrogate colours saw him deployed as a wing-back and replaced at the interval as Simon Weaver’s men struggled against Sutton United, though Sims looked far more comfortable at right-back during Tuesday night’s League Two clash.

Having hardly played since leaving Pittsburgh Riverhounds in America’s second-tier last year, he had to be replaced after 65 minutes due to cramp, however his manager was more than satisfied by what he saw as he seeks a replacement for Kayne Ramsay, who will not play again this term because of a facial injury.

"Toby was superb,” Weaver said. “He cramped up near the end because he hasn’t had much football for some time, but I thought he was outstanding throughout.

"He was very, very solid and although he was cramping up that’s understandable and a sign that he worked really hard.

"We wanted to see that from Toby and he will feel so satisfied because he had a bit of a baptism of fire playing at wing-back in the game a few weeks ago against Sutton, through no fault of his own, it was just a difficult scenario.

"He’s had to wait for his chance and he has come and shown everyone what he is about.”

Sims and his defensive colleagues’ efforts were almost rewarded with a clean-sheet, Town making it as far as the 81st minute before Salford’s Matty Lund struck to cancel out Jack Muldoon’s 50th-minute opener.

Harrogate remain 20th in the League Two standings following Tuesday’s result, though Gillingham’s victory over Grimsby means that the Sulphurites now sit just two points clear of the relegation zone.