Ever since Harrogate Town’s first-ever promotion to the English football league back in 2020, it seems that the club has continually had to look over their shoulder. At the start of each of the last three seasons, online bookmakers whose football odds and offers are compared by oddschecker, have continually made The Sulphurites one of the favourites for relegation back down to the National League. And with teams such as Wrexham and Notts County firing on all cylinders in the fifth tier of English football, there would be no guarantee that Town would make it back to League Two should they suffer relegation.
This term has been another difficult campaign for Simon Weaver’s men. The club has flirted with the idea of relegation all season long; however, in recent weeks, they have begun to turn a corner and started to edge away from the drop zone. With one of the division’s relegation slots all but guaranteed to be occupied by Rochdale, there are four teams left fighting to avoid the dreaded second spot. That is currently occupied by Hartlepool United, and Harrogate Town are four points and three places higher than the relegation candidates in the League Two table. Sandwiched between the two clubs are Colchester United and Crawley Town.
Turning the Corner
Town’s upturn in form came on February 28th with a battling point against the promotion-chasing Northampton Town. The following week, Harrogate managed to pick up another point against the in-form Gillingham courtesy of a goalless draw. But it wasn’t until the trip to Doncaster Rovers three days later that things truly began to pick up steam.
Two goals in the last ten minutes from Luke Armstrong and Alexander Pattinson gave the visitors a well-deserved 2-0 victory in the Yorkshire derby, and the result was perhaps Town’s biggest win of the entire campaign. Some of that momentum was lost just a matter of days later thanks to a 3-1 defeat away at fellow relegation candidates Crawley Town, but manager Weaver ensured that his team’s heads didn’t drop.
They would bounce back immediately with a hard-earned 1-0 victory against playoff hopefuls Barrow. The goal was once again a late one, with Matthew Daly netting 15 minutes from full-time. That was followed up with a point away at Tranmere Rovers – a point which would have been three had it not been for an own goal from Town ‘keeper Mark Oxley.
Heading into the final few weeks of the season, Town’s destiny is in their own hands. All they need to do is better the results of Hartlepool and they will once again be a member of the 72 next season. Here’s to hoping that they can pull it off.
