Harrogate Town v Blackburn Rovers: Underdogs tag sits comfortably with Sulphurites, says Simon Weaver

Championship Blackburn Rovers arrive at The EnviroVent Stadium tonight looking to secure comfortable passage through to the third round of the Carabao Cup.

But they will come up against a Harrogate team rejuvenated by Saturday’s 2-0 home win over an in-form Morecambe and used to being written off many times before.

Changes may be afoot, says Weaver, with Saturday’s League Two trip to Barrow looming large, but not to the extent where it be to the detriment of tonight’s game, one which sees the Sulphurites’ boss keen to build on his players’ impressive shift on the weekend just gone.

"Being labelled underdogs is an understandable tag to still remain with us,” said Weaver. “At every level we’ve played we’ve always had that tag.

"We relish being underdogs and having a bit of a chip on our shoulder – hopefully we can continue to prove people wrong.”

Blackburn come into the game having risen to ninth in the Championship standings following Sunday’s 1-0 win at Watford.

But even though Town will have had an extra day to prepare, Weaver is not expecting that to offer any significant advantage.

"We expect them to be fast-paced, play an expansive game, easy on the eye and they can rip you to shreds if you are not organised,” added Weaver.

"But, at the same time, we’ve got to use our tight pitch to maximise our strengths and get on the front foot.”