Joe Mattock impresses alongside Anthony O'Connor on Harrogate Town return

Joe Mattock made his first Sulphurites appearance in almost five months when he replaced the injured Liam Gibson shortly before half-time, and delivered a solid display at the heart of the visitors' defence.

The former England Under-21 international has fallen down the pecking order at Wetherby Road this season, and was deemed surplus to requirements in October, heading out on loan to National League Hartlepool United.

Injury cut short his spell in the North East, and having returned to Harrogate just before Christmas, 33-year-old Mattock has managed to force his way back into a couple of match-day squads of late.

But he hadn't played a single minute of competitive football since leaving Pools until Gibson pulled his hamstring late in the first half at the County Ground.

And, although he and O'Connor just failed to see the game out with their clean-sheet intact, the ex-Leicester City and Rotherham United man slotted in seamlessly despite his lack of game-time, producing a couple of crucial interventions inside his own box on what was only his fourth League Two outing of the campaign.

"We haven't seen Joe Mattock in one of our shirts for a while and, to be fair, he came on and did very well," Weaver said. "I thought that he competed well and did everything right.

"Fair play to him, I know that he has been training well and working hard with Ben Rome for quite a while now and he took his opportunity well.

"Obviously, it's a blow losing Liam Gibson, but it means a lot to me that someone has looked after themselves well, in order to take their chance. And he took his chance today.

"Hopefully he will get another good week's training into his legs and he can vie for that spot again next week."

On the performance of O'Connor, who marked his 500th career appearance with an excellent header from George Thomson's 52nd-minute free-kick to hand Town the lead, Weaver added: "I thought he was superb.

"He defended great today throughout and it was a good goal.

"His mind was right on it and certainly focused and when he's aggressive like that, he combines good ability with a proper edge. He has played 500 games and you can see why."

The injury which forced Gibson from the field is reportedly a hamstring issue, with Weaver concerned that it will rule the former Newcastle United defender out for a significant period of time.

"It looks like a torn hamstring," he continued. "Hopefully it is just a strain, but he doesn't feel good about it at all.

"Knowing us, he'll probably be out for four months. I'm being facetious, and I'm hoping it'll be four weeks, but who knows. We'll get him scanned and then see how he is."

Saturday’s draw at Swindon sees Harrogate drop one place to 13th in the League Two standings, where they now sit five points outside the division’s final play-off spot.