Simon Weaver growing frustrated by Harrogate Town’s naivete

Excellent for 20 minutes of Saturday’s contest and deservedly ahead through Jack Muldoon’s early strike, the Sulphurites’ leaky defence was breached twice before half-time by opponents who offered very little as an attacking force all afternoon.

Trailing 2-1, the Wetherby Road outfit conintued to dominate possession after the interval, though lacked sufficient quality in the final third to get themselves back into the match.

“At the end of the season, we can look at the facts, look at the stats and they don’t lie. We rarely get completely dominated, but we can be in charge of games and lose them because we are not thinking ‘what if?’,” said Weaver.

“We lack leadership in some places and that ‘what if’ mentality when it comes to reading danger. We need a bit more know-how and quality. I don’t think anyone could really argue with that.

“I think this is a good group of lads who felt like they’d taken another punch in the stomach when Colchester equalised – and that’s because of the defence, to be honest.

“We didn’t react well from that and you have to react better. The legs and energy and honesty for the most part can’t be questioned, but we could be described as a naive team.

“We like to keep it positive and be nice about things but we have got to call it as it is, the naivety is costing us and I’m glad we are 13 points above the bottom-two.”

Harrogate Town: Oxley; Fallowfield, Smith, Sheron, Burrell; Muldoon (Ilesanmi 81), Thomson, Pattison, Diamond; Kavanagh (Power 68), Armstrong. Unused substitutes: Cracknell, Kerry, Austerfield, McArdle.

Colchester United: George; Coxe, Chambers, Eastman, Kenlock; Skuse (Welch-Hayes 84), Wiredu; Tchamedu (Judge 68), Chilvers, Hannant; Sears. Unused substitutes: Hornby, Andrews, Akinde, Huws, Wright.

Referee: S Mather (Manchester).