Harrogate Town v Doncaster Rovers: Sulphurites seek to maintain fine derby form as visitors aim to break cycle

In their four league meetings with the Sulphurites, since the North Yorkshire club’s promotion to the English Football League in 2020-21, Rovers have yet to taste victory and lost both league meetings between the sides last term.

Harrogate’s record against Bradford City isn’t too bad either, come to mention it.

Simon Weaver’s side head into Thursday night’s televised contest without so much as a home goal to their name in three matches in all competitions at Wetherby Road so far in 2024-25 - let alone a win.

Tonight would constitute the perfect time to change things and should Harrogate’s admirable sequence against rival sides in the Broad Acres continue, then Weaver might just afford his players a nice little bonus in the process.

Doncaster-born Weaver, who spent a brief playing spell at his hometown club in the late Nineties, said: “We are really looking forward to the game. We know it’s a tough challenge against a good Doncaster team.

"A derby always adds a little bit of excitement and I am sure the lads will be buzzing for the fixture under the floodlights.

"It’s also an opportunity maybe for a couple of days off, if everyone gives a good account of themselves and we bring a good performance to the table.

"The onus is on us as the home team to perform and a big part of that is getting the fans whipped up.

"Now is the time in a derby to come alive with a 90-minute performance and show what it means to us.”

Harrogate followers were certainly on their feet in this particular fixture in January, by virtue of a 3-1 victory which exposed Rovers deficiencies during a hard winter for Grant McCann’s side.

Rovers are a different animal these days, certainly more convincing from a defensive sense with an ability to compliment their easy-on-the-eye passing football with improved levels of game management.

On home soil, a total of 11 successive league wins is confirmation of that very fact.

Since that early new year loss at Harrogate, Rovers have also seen their colours lowered just twice on their travels at league level.

That also points to the right sort of consistency and a side who possess a touch of steel these days to match the silk displayed by the likes of Luke Molyneux, among the nominees for the League Two player of the month award for August.

It also suggests that Rovers are a side with the capacity to overcome rivals not just in a pure footballing contest, but also in a scrap when it is required.

That might come in handy tonight against a Harrogate side who could well resemble a bit of a wounded animal after some tough early-season moments at home, not least a 5-0 EFL Cup loss to Preston.

McCann said: "I think we can mix it up and do both. I certainly don’t teach the team to play a pretty sort of football and soft football way.

"I want us to be a footballing team, but one with a purpose who passes and runs forward and breaks forward quickly and when we haven’t got the ball, win it back as quick as we can. We jump and press and aren’t scared to come out of our slots.

"We’ve recruited a team that can mix it and that’s important in any season, when you are coming up against teams which are direct - which we have quite a bit.

"We can deal with that or you can come against a good footballing team and we want to get better, much better, than we were last season when we came up against good footballing teams when we weren’t good enough.

"I remember Notts County home and away last season when we were nowhere near good enough. We have to be able to mix it better and we showed it (in the second half of) last season.”

During a first half of 2023-24 when Rovers had a fair few trials and tribulations, some of their experiences were bitter amid a crippling injury count.

Things have changed for the better since and the learning process has not just been restricted to their players either.

McCann added: “I think myself and Cliff (Byrne - assistant) have also learned more about the level.

"Not that we would ever underestimate anything. But It probably took us by surprise by how good some teams were and the good players who stuck out. We have certainly learnt a lot more about individuals in teams in how they work and what they are like and everything about clubs.

"You wouldn’t believe the dossiers we get given regarding the opposition we are going to play against from the staff and how much detail that goes into it. I think we have all learnt together. We know it would take a bit of time.

"But we’ve learnt over the last 12 to 14 months. We are well equipped to play against these teams."