Simon Weaver was “ecstatic” and felt that Harrogate “fully deserved” their 3-1 League Two comeback victory over Fleetwood which secured their Football League status for another season.
The Sulphurites recovered from falling a goal down early in the second half to take all three points from Easter Monday’s fixture at Wetherby Road, with that result moving them nine points clear of the relegation zone, with two games remaining.
Kobei Moore fired the Cod Army into a 51st-minute lead, but Jasper Moon and Ellis Taylor scored in quick succession to turn the game on its head before substitute Tom Cursons wrapped things up at the death.
And there was no doubt in the Harrogate manager’s mind that his team warranted their win.
“I’m ecstatic with the performance, I thought that we fully deserved the three points and the scoreline as well,” Weaver said.
“The lads have shown big character again. We go a goal down to Fleetwood’s first shot, but we reacted positively.
“A number of times now, we have gone a goal behind and bounced back – and that sums up the last few months.
“I thought that Fleetwood looked pretty flat today, they were inviting us on. We upped the ante and then they did and they had a little spell where they were bopping it around in the middle of the park.
“So, we needed to up it in the attacking third in the second half, but we did that and ended up with three goals, which was great.”
On his emotions at the final whistle after Harrogate’s safety was confirmed, Weaver added: “It was like someone had taken a big lead weight off my shoulders for the first time in about seven months.
“I think that it will take a while for me to properly take it all in because when you’re in this job – it’s been 16 years now – you live and dream it and it is very hard to switch off.
“I need a bit of time to absorb the season as a whole, but, since the turn of the year, we have looked so different as a team – resilient and with a lot of quality.”
Meanwhile, Fleetwood boss Pete Wild was unable to take too many positives from his own side’s display.
“I made a load of changes to make sure that everyone got a game across the weekend and we looked a bit disjointed,” he said.
“I thought that we dealt with what they threw at us quite well in the first half, but we never looked a threat with the ball.
“Second half, for probably 20 minutes we had a good go and we scored, but they were two rubbish goals to give away and two or three (players) gave up – and it was pathetic.”
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