Oldham Athletic v Harrogate Town: Simon Weaver looking to utilise psychological boost in relegation dogfight
HARROGATE TOWN may just have handed themselves a psychological boost at the ideal time in a tough campaign, according to manager Simon Weaver.
Now with eight games to save their League Two status, the Sulphurites delivered their biggest league win of the season with a 3-0 victory at Tranmere Rovers in midweek.
And the fact that that win - their third in eight games - took them off the foot of the table to be replaced by Barrow, could have a significant effect on the mindset of the players, believes Weaver.
“It’s certainly a lift psychologically,” said Weaver ahead of today’s trip to in-form Oldham Athletic.
“We all look at the table, we all know where we are and we know we’ve got eight more cup finals to get one more place above where we are now.
“We needed to shift two places and - as it stands - there’s just one more to go.
“But every game we have to attack in the same vein - each point lifts you. We got three the other night and looking at the table (after) it is of significance psychologically, definitely.”
Getting over the line won’t be easy, though, as a troubling 2025-26 campaign has shown and particularly when coming up against League Two’s form team in the shape of Micky Mellon’s Oldham, who are unbeaten in eight games and within sight of making a late dash to the play-offs.
But Weaver believes his team will be ready for whatever the hosts throw at them today at Boundary Park.
“They are on a good run, they have good momentum and have good home support,” added Weaver. “But it is a good pitch to play on and they shift it quickly. They play 4-4-2 - we know that system, we’ve played it many times - we know that they’ve got the legs to do that.
“So it will be a quick-tempo game and we have to be up for the fight and not think we’ve made it because of one win.”
Weaver said Tom Hill and Jack Muldoon both came through their first starts in a number of weeks in the midweek win at Tranmere unscathed, replaced in order to keep them fresh for today’s clash.
Crawley and Newport – the two teams one point ahead of Harrogate – also face tough road trips, facing Fleetwood and Walsall respectively.