Simon Weaver will rotate his Harrogate Town squad, but not necessarily against Scunthorpe United

Harrogate Town manager Simon Weaver. Pictures: Matt KirkhamHarrogate Town manager Simon Weaver. Pictures: Matt Kirkham
Harrogate Town manager Simon Weaver. Pictures: Matt Kirkham
With his Harrogate Town side just one game in to a gruelling run of eight fixtures in the space of only 26 days, it is inevitable that Simon Weaver will have to rotate personnel over the coming weeks.

Indeed, the reason that the Sulphurites chief was so busy during the January transfer window and added seven new faces to his squad was because he wanted to be able to do exactly that – freshen things up as and when required – as the club strives to ensure that their first-ever taste of the Football League lasts longer than the one season.

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The need to bolster his ranks both in terms of strength and depth was at no point more obvious than on December 1 last year, Harrogate’s one-and-only prior meeting with Scunthorpe United, the side whom they tackle this afternoon.

Ravaged by injury and suspension, battle-weary Town only had enough fit bodies to name four players on their substitutes’ bench that night.

The Sulphurites beat title-chasing Carlisle United 1-0 in midweek.The Sulphurites beat title-chasing Carlisle United 1-0 in midweek.
The Sulphurites beat title-chasing Carlisle United 1-0 in midweek.

A sizeable chunk of the 11 men who began that 5-2 mauling looked visibly jaded, the rigours of life in League Two clearly having caught up with them.

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But, rejuvenated and refreshed since the turn of the year and coming off the back of a fine 1-0 win over title-chasing Carlisle United in midweek, Harrogate are likely to be unchanged when they tackle the Iron this weekend.

“Whilst the energy is high, there will be few changes – if any," Weaver revealed.

"I didn’t look at anyone, even in training today [Thursday] and think ‘ooh, their energy supply is running low.

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“I think that consistency is the key to getting on a good run. We’ve won three out of four now and if we can keep performing like we did the other night [against Carlisle] and keep grinding good results out then hopefully confidence continues to rise.

“If you change the side too early, you make a rod for your own back.”