No happy homecoming for John Ryan as Harrogate Town chief Simon Weaver is the one smiling at hometown club Doncaster Rovers' expense after League Two derby

Speaking of thunder, the storm clouds were circling ahead of the game for Simon Weaver. By the end, Harrogate Town’s Doncaster-born manager was positively beaming and had a sunnier disposition - justifiably so.

Without the services of unsettled star striker Luke Armstrong - who 'made himself unavailable for selection' according to a tweet posted by his club at 2.05pm on Saturday, Harrogate’s preparation for the new season was dealt the sort of blow that no manager wants.

To the immense credit of Weaver - and more specifically his players - the away side cast aside the unwanted disruption and reigned on Rovers’ parade and provided food for thought for Grant McCann is his second coming.

Sat in the Black Bank end with his people, former chairman Ryan - back watching his beloved Rovers for the first time since resigning as chairman in November 2013 - was serenaded with chants of ‘There’s only one John Ryan’ in the build-up to kick-off. That was as good as it got.

Harrogate were sharper, slicker and far more convincing than Rovers on the day and Weaver’s tactics were spot on as the visitors mixed up play adeptly.

Speedsters Sam Folarin and Abraham Odoh caused Rovers grief in the final third, while Dean Cornelius governed central midfield for much of the game, with an able accomplice in Liam Gibson. Both look very tidy signings.

At the back, captain Anthony O’Connor was imperious and some others weren’t far behind. Toby Sims excelled as did Matty Foulds, who made a key goal-line clearance to deny Jon Taylor - a big moment in the context of the game early in the second half with the score still 0-0.

Such is football that it was Armstrong’s replacement in Jack Muldoon who grabbed the glory from the penalty spot after Joseph Olowu was penalised for a challenge on Odoh midway through the second half.

McCann felt that keeper Ian Lawlor - whose feats late on ensured that Harrogate’s margin of victory was not more comfortable - should have saved the effort which flew under him, although the Rovers boss was more peeved at the decision-making of referee Scott Tallis.

Promoted to the EFL refereeing list for this season, Tallis irked McCann by penalising Olowu. Replays showed he did get some contact with the ball as Odoh surged into the box, but the tackle was not particularly clean and there was no particular need for it with the Harrogate forward not directly bearing down on goal. He gave Tallis a decision to make.

McCann was narked that Rovers did not receive a penalty in a similar incident late on when substitute Tyler Roberts went down. He and fellow replacement Deji Sotona pepped up the hosts - one of the few positive ticks in the box on the afternoon.

But his anger regarding the hosts not getting a spot-kick prior to Harrogate’s award was more justified. Seconds before Foulds’s clearance to thwart Taylor, Tommy Rowe tumbled after Mark Oxley raced out of goal to challenge him. It was untidy from the Harrogate keeper, but it went unpunished.

Creditably, McCann did him the good grace to admit that Harrogate were worthy of their victory and did not gloss over an unsatisfactory performance from his side, especially in the first half when they were second best to most things.

The Rovers chief called for patience in the match-day programme and it was a shrewd message on this evidence.

Home supporters appeared to be listening too, the applause that the home players received at the final whistle was sweet music, certainly compared to the final third of last season, for sure.

Six new signings made their bows while Lawlor was making his second debut, but it was those newcomers in Harrogate colours who excelled.

McCann commented: "The fans were brilliant and I was just really disappointed that we couldn't get the three points or even a point towards the end for them.

"Hopefully, they can see what we are trying to do. There's a lot more to come from us. We were off it in terms of how we want to play. Hopefully, they saw the endeavour from the team in the second half to try and get an equaliser.

"I hate losing, but it's a long season and I'm not going to get too beat up about it."

Weaver was a fair bit happier, that said.

He said: “I am absolutely delighted and buzzing for everyone involved in our side. It gives us immense pride and confidence going forward."

So it should.

Doncaster Rovers: Lawlor, Sterry; Olowu, Wood, Senior; Bailey, Broadbent; Molyneux (Biggins 85), Rowe (Roberts 68), Taylor (Sotona 68); Ironside (Miller 72). Substitutes unused: Bottomley, Maxwell, Anderson.

Harrogate Town: Oxley; Sims, O’Connor, McDonald (Mattock 57), Foulds; Cornelius (Burrell 89), Gibson (Sutton 88); Folarin (M Daly 68), Odoh, J Daly; Muldoon. Substitutes unused: Thomas, Falkingham, Thomson.

Referee: S Tallis (Birmingham).