Harrogate Town v Accrington Stanley: Simon Weaver encouraged by mentality shift ahead of vital period
HARROGATE TOWN boss Simon Weaver has been heartened by his side's mentality shift in their battle to stay in the Football League.
The Sulphurites are in the League Two relegation zone ahead of the festive period but sit just one point behind a clutch of clubs after encouraging draws on the road at Notts County and Barnet.
Weaver's side head into tonight's home clash with Accrington Stanley buoyed by a 4-2 EFL Trophy victory over League One outfit Blackpool.
"They know the importance of turning up in each and every game," said Weaver.
"We can't have a lapse. This is all about showing that unity in every single game.
"That starts in training. There's been an uplift in terms of the intensity of the players.
"We know what's at stake every single game. We're determined to claw ourselves out of trouble."
Harrogate are fresh from a rare weekend off after falling at the first hurdle in the FA Cup but they put their time to good use with extra training.
Weaver is hoping to see the benefit against Accrington, a team coming off a penalty shootout defeat on Saturday.
"They performed well against Mansfield, who are in League One, and very nearly pulled off an FA Cup upset," he added.
"We've put some good training sessions in. Saturday was excellent. We managed to do an 11 v 11 practice session on the home pitch, which was useful for us.
"They've trained with a view to being conditioned for League Two football. We need them to be robust and able to handle that.
"We're all determined to have a good Christmas. We'll all be happier if we get a couple of wins under our belts now."