Harrogate boss Simon Weaver praised his team’s character and ability as they leapt into the top half of League Two following a 2-1 home win over Accrington.
For the first time since August 2021, Harrogate secured maximum points after conceding the opening goal at their Wetherby Road ground with George Thomson’s stoppage-time effort sealing victory after he had set up Jack Muldoon’s equaliser to cancel out Jack Nolan’s second-half opener for the visitors.
The victory ended a run of four straight defeats against Stanley for the Sulphurites, dating back to the clubs’ Unibond League days in 2002/03, with a delighted Weaver hailing a “perfect Christmas” following a third league win on the bounce.
He said: “We always knew it would be a testing game. Accrington have a great squad of players, with a talented youthful look about them and a smattering of good experience so, to turn things around from 1-0 down, makes it a perfect Christmas.
“We showed character and ability to keep level-headed when we were losing the game and we fought back well. I thought we played terrifically well in the first half without scoring.
“They then picked their game up in the second half and it was disappointing to go behind, but we worked so hard to turn the result back in our favour.
“It was a great moment to see Thommo get the winner, too, after it had just been announced that he was the man of the match.”
Weaver added further praise for goalkeeper James Belshaw, who has featured in all three victories since returning to the club on an emergency loan deal from Bristol Rovers.
“They had an opportunity at the end from a (Brad Hills) free header and I thought it was in, but he made a fantastic save,” he said.
Accrington boss John Coleman reasoned that his players paid the price for uncharacteristically going to “sleep” at two set-pieces, but argued his team’s overall performance merited greater reward.
He said: “It’s frustrating to lose to a late goal, but we’ve got to be positive about how we played. We absolutely dominated the second half and deservedly went 1-0 up.
“I couldn’t see them scoring at that point with the way we were pinning them back. But a cheap free-kick was given and we have defended set-plays really well this season, so I was very disappointed to concede one the way we did.
“We then had a great chance in injury time but their keeper has made a great save, so it could have been us leaving the pitch with a win.
“Instead, we conceded a free-kick, which was definitely a foul, and went to sleep again with nobody picking up their man at the back post.
“Two free-kicks have ended up hurting us, but I don’t think even the most-biased Harrogate fan would say they deserved to win the game on the balance of play.”
[(Shimizu S-Pulse) Weakness]: 1. Shimizu S-Pulse are 13th in the J1 League table. Facing 2nd-placed Kashima Antlers, they will find it hard to win this match due to their declining form, indicating doubtful motivation.2. Shimizu S-Pulse defender Yuji Takahashi and forward Sena Saito will miss this league game due to injuries.3. Shimizu S-Pulse were winless with 2 draws and 3 losses in the last 5 g...
Liverpool table fresh Guehi bidAccording to The Athletic, Liverpool have submitted a fresh bid worth £35 million ($47m) to sign Marc Guehi from Crystal Palace. The Reds had earlier seen two bids rejected by the Eagles, but they remain hopeful that this time the offer will be accepted.Fenerbahce eyeing move for EdersonTurkish Super Lig giants Fenerbahce are eyeing a move for out-of-favour Manc...
Roma medical for Liverpool fullback TsimikasAS Roma are holding a medical for Kostas Tsimikas today.The Liverpool fullback is leaving Anfield after finding himself third-choice this season behind fellow left-backs Andrew Robertson and Milos Kerkez.La Gazzetta dello Sport says the Greece international is expected in Italy today to finalise his move.Tsimikas will undergo a medical ahead of signing a...
FBL-ENG-PR-CHELSEA-FULHAMMarco Silva has demanded an explanation from the Premier League after lambasting three "shocking" refereeing decisions in Fulham's 2-0 Premier League loss at Chelsea.WHAT HAPPENED?The Whites thought they had taken the lead against their west London rivals Chelsea when 18-year-old Josh King coolly slotted past Robert Sanchez. However, the goal was chalked off by referee Rob...
[(Shonan Bellmare) Strength]: 1. Shonan Bellmare are one of the bottom teams in the table, taking 25 points and being in the relegation zone. They are strongly motivated to grab points.[(Shonan Bellmare) Neutral]: 1. Shonan Bellmare drew the last 4 home games, revealing mediocre home performances.[(Shonan Bellmare) Weakness]: 1. Shonan Bellmare lost 1-0 to Fagiano Okayama on the road in the last g...
Manchester United Training Session And Press Conference - UEFA Europa League Final 2025Chelsea have completed the signing of Alejandro Garnacho from Manchester United.WHAT HAPPENED?Garnacho has signed a seven-year contract with the Blues after the two Premier League clubs agreed a deal worth a fixed £40 million fee ($54m) with a 10 per cent sell-on clause, Goal understands. The 21-year-old ha...
Marc Guehi Crystal Palace 2025-26Liverpool have launched a fresh bid for Marc Guehi as they hope that Crystal Palace will finally accept their proposal and agree to sell their star defender before the summer transfer window closes on Monday. The Reds have been linked with a move for the England international throughout the summer and the champions are determined to secure his signature.WHAT HAPPEN...
West Ham United v Lille OSC - Pre-Season FriendlyAston Villa are close to signing West Ham United midfielder Lucas Paqueta on an initial loan with an obligation to buy next summer.WHAT HAPPENED?Villa are on the brink of agreeing a £47 million (€54m/$63m) package for Paqueta which includes a loan fee and add-ons, according to Fabrizio Romano. The report also states the 28-year-old has ac...
[(Nagoya Grampus) Strength]: 1. Nagoya Grampus currently have only 28 points and are near the bottom of the league table. To avoid relegation, they need to earn points.[(Nagoya Grampus) Neutral]: 1. Nagoya Grampus' 7 successive games ended with OVER.[(Nagoya Grampus) Weakness]: 1. Nagoya Grampus lost 2-4 to Sanfrecce Hiroshima in their last Emperor's Cup game, with poor performance.2. In the lates...
Cody Gakpo Liverpool 2025Premier League champions Liverpool have confirmed that star attacker Cody Gakpo has put pen to paper on a new long-term contract, which has extended his stay at Anfield beyond 2028. The Dutchman who joined the club in January 2023, during the Jurgen Klopp era, has established himself as a regular starter under new boss Arne Slot and has now committed his future to the Reds...
