Colcehster United v Harrogate Town: Sulphurites need to be switched on to snap two-game losing streak
HARROGATE TOWN boss Simon Weaver is looking for his players to stay switched on to help them avoid a third straight League Two defeat when they travel to Colchester United today.
Weaver admits it took a “few days” to get over last week’s 3-2 defeat at Fleetwood Town, after they let a 2-1 lead slip by conceding two goals in six minutes at Highbury.
The setback has left a ‘what if’ feeling lingering over the Exercise Stadium as Weaver and his players realise their improved performances are not necessarily yielding the points they deserve, thereby harming their hopes for a play-off push.
As they head to Essex for what marks Weaver’s 700th league game in charge, the Sulphurites sit six points off the top seven, but have lost their last two games.
It isn’t a gap that should cause sleepless nights but Weaver is aware his team has to start making their performances count sooner rather than later.
“There is frustration, without a doubt,” admitted Weaver. “I look at the table every Saturday evening on the way back from games and last week was so frustrating.
“I’ll be honest, it took me a few days to get over Fleetwood because I knew that there were some players that deserved to be on a winning team that day and deserved to be looking at the table and seeing that they were only a couple of points off the play-offs.
“But it can’t be just talk, it can’t be just ‘oh, this is great, attractive football’ - losing games is awful as a manager, it’s awful losing as a team and so we need to be taking advantage of some really good gems that are playing well.
"The preparation starts in training and we have to make sure that people are doing what we want come business time when the pressure is on.
“We need to make sure that they are not just going through the motions in training, we have to make sure that people are switched on for the whole training session and train with real great intensity so that they are in the groove come match day.”
Lewis Cass, Lucas Barnes, Tom Hill, George Thomson, Shawn McCoulsky and Mason Bennett make up a now six-strong injury list for Weaver, although defender Jacob Slater returns from international duty.