Joe Leesley back to his best and pressing for Harrogate Town start

Leesley came on from the substitutes’ bench late on for sixth-placed Harrogate in Tuesday’s 1-0 loss at Barnet – his first appearance since a cameo against Stockport County at the beginning of February.

On the impact made by Leesley, one of last season’s promotion-winning heroes, Weaver said: “It was more than a bit, to be honest,

“I thought he was great and Joe was back to his best.

“Not that he had a massive dip (before), but in the continued grind of a season some players need resting at some point.

“We had a change of formation, which was not suiting him as much, but he has come back in to a 4-4-2 right into our thoughts and he was very good when he came on.”

Barrow will be without a number of players for today’s Holker Street appointment, but Weaver is not reading too much into that against an 11th-placed Bluebirds side who have won their past three matches.

He said: “They are a slippery kind of team.

“We found ourselves 1-0 down to them earlier on this season at the CNG Stadium and turned it around after half-time.

“You can either drop off and make it compact and be stubborn and resilient against them to deny them passing options or you can get after them.

“I will not say which way we will go about it, but we will certainly commit to a style of play and you have to as if you go in half-hearted or worry about them they are good enough to get at you and hurt you.”

The reverse fixture proved an entertaining one with Harrogate firing four goals in the second half en route to a 4-2 success.