Harrogate Town v Crawley Town: Sulphurites aim to reignite play-off push

Harrogate Town were held to a goalless draw the last time Crawley Town visited Wetherby Road. The Sulphurites are without a win in three previous home fixtures against the Red Devils. Picture: Craig Galloway/ProSportsImages

The Sulphurites head into this weekend’s fixture five points adrift of League Two’s top seven following a lean patch which has seen them emerge victorious from just one of their previous seven matches.

But a victory over the Red Devils could move them back to within touching distance of seventh place, and coming off the back of a positive showing away at Swindon last time out, Weaver believes that his side have the platform to get back to winning ways.

"We wanted a real determination to do well and to get three points and put us back in the play-off hunt, because even though we are Harrogate Town, we are allowed to be ambitious and to get better,” the Town boss said, speaking after that 1-1 draw with the Robins.

Sulphurites boss Simon Weaver is looking for his players to build on the point they took off Swindon last time out. Picture: Matt Kirkham

"Hopefully Saturday was one step back towards the form we were showing during January and early February.

“It can lay the foundation for the rest of the season. We are in the hunt, with many other teams. We are five points off the play-offs right now, but the challenge is to finish above the vast majority of those teams and make history, and if we fall short, it can’t be through a lack of desire.”

Saturday sees Town return to Wetherby Road where they are due a positive result following back-to-back losses to Walsall and Newport County in their two previous home outings.

“As a group, we have to go and put things right at home,” Weaver added.

“We try our best to sell season tickets and we are 19th in the table for our home form.

“We are third away from home, which is great, but not everyone can travel and we owe it to the fans, to ourselves and to our families to come out of the blocks fast and show the qualities that we have on Saturday.”

Crawley are unbeaten in their three previous visits to the EnviroVent Stadium. Last season’s corresponding fixture ended goalless, while the Red Devils won 3-1 in 2021/22 and drew 1-1 in 2020/21.

Earlier this term, they triumphed 2-1 on their own patch. Kick-off on Saturday is at 3pm.