Simon Weaver left to lament Harrogate Town's inability to deal with Bristol Rovers crosses
Harrogate Town manager Simon Weaver was left to lament his side’s inability to deal with Bristol Rovers crosses after a 3-2 defeat to the Gas.
The relegation-threatened Sulphurites twice led on home turf, with Ellis Taylor having netted either side of a Shaq Forde goal.
However, their hopes of beating the drop in League Two were dented when Ellis Harrison converted twice to seal a 3-2 victory for the visitors.
Weaver was keen on pointing out positives but conceded his side’s defending proved costly.
Simon Weaver reflects
He said: “We played well and went in at half-time full of confidence after Ellis’ brilliant strike. In the second half, we started brightly, but went on to concede a soft goal.
“Then, we bounced back in style through Ellis again, but another two soft goals have cost us the game.
“They’ve got a good squad with a lot of pedigree from higher league football, but I don’t think they have beaten us because of spells of concerted pressure. We lost because we didn’t deal with two crosses for their second and third goals.
“We’ll still be driving home the positives from this performance, though, and I know the lads will continue to show camaraderie and never give in until the final whistle of the final game.
“We’ve become a strong unit since the transfer window and have players who are aspirational and want to stay at this level with a belief that they can win every game.”
Steve Evans’ verdict
Gas manager Steve Evans, on the other hand, saluted his side’s integrity as they prepare to continue playing a role in the divison’s scrap for survival.
He said: “Football’s about winning and I was really disappointed at half-time because I wanted to come to Harrogate with the greatest of integrity, as there are four or five teams trying to beat the drop into the National League.
“But it looked like we were going through the motions, even though it was a brilliant finish that put them in front.
“We made changes for the second half and, whereas there was very little in it during the first half, we were totally dominant after the break and deserved the win.
“We also left with our integrity high and with every other club knowing that we’ll do our level best in all our remaining fixtures.
“I gave Crawley five wonderful years of my life, but it will be no different when they come to the Mem on Saturday or when we go to Tranmere the following weekend.”