There's no need to panic says Harrogate Town boss Weaver

The men from the CNG Stadium slipped down to eighth position in the National League North standings after a 4-1 home loss to promotion rivals Darlington 1883 on Saturday.

Yet despite Town’s poor run, Weaver says there is no cause for alarm and is confident that his side will return to form once they get past the current injury crisis that is plaguing the club.

“We’ve had a tough sequence of fixtures against four of the strongest sides in this league in recent weeks,” Weaver said.

“We’re still eighth in the table and are three points off the play-offs, not in the relegation zone.

“We just have to grit our teeth, get our heads up and keep working hard.

“Things won’t stay like this, we can’t keep having the bad luck with the injuries, the deflected goals and refereeing decisions.

“Once we get two or three players back from injury, you’re looking at a different side.”

Town face another stiff test tomorrow when they travel to Salford City, the stars of the BBC documentary ‘Class of ‘92: Out of Their League’, and another of the clubs challenging for promotion.

Elsewhere in National League North tomorrow, basement-side Bradford Park Avenue travel to FC United of Manchester.

In the first round of the FA Cup, FC Halifax Town travel to National League side Dagenham and Redbridge and boss Billy Heath believes his side can cause an upset despite losing their seven-game unbeaten record at home to Brackley Town last week.

He said: “We’ve got to pick ourselves up, and dust ourselves down now.

“We go to the FA Cup game and have to try to get back to winning ways as soon as we can.

“I’d have probably liked to have played a league game to get ourselves back going and try to get three points but it’s the next game on the calendar.

“It’s an interesting game where we can go away and enjoy it.

“We know we’ll enjoy it if we win the game.”

Heath also feels a break from the league environment could yield a positive outcome for his troops.

He added: “I think a lot of the time, in a lot of the games we play at our level; we’re favourites for virtually every game.

“Obviously, the shoe will be on the other foot this time, and we’ll be underdogs. That will probably ease the pressure a bit and hopefully we can go and get a result.

Adam Lockwood’s Guiseley are without a game in the National League this weekend.

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Farsley Celtic could go top of the First Division North if they can beat lowly Hyde United at home and Brighouse Town and Scarborough Athletic both slip up.

Celtic go into tomorrow’s game on a high following their 3-1 midweek victory over Mossley where Adam Clayton, Paul Walker and Jacob Hazel were all on the scoresheet.

Leaders Brighouse host fourth-placed Lancaster City while Scarborough travel to Trafford.

Town are still hurting from their 3-0 home defeat to Lancaster on September 3 in the FA Cup first preliminary round, when former Port Vale striker Jordan Connerton scored twice.

Eighth-placed Tadcaster Albion will be looking to get into the promotion mix as they play at bottom-side Burscough who they drew 0-0 with last Saturday.

Goals in the last five minutes from Joshua Barrett and Adam Baker on Tuesday night earned Albion an excellent 3-3 draw at Ramsbottom United and they will looking to build on that storming comeback.

Tenth-placed Ossett Town play host to Bamber Bridge fresh from their 4-2 victory over high-flying Scarborough Athletic on Tuesday night.

Neighbours Ossett Albion face a tough trip to North Wales to take on Colwyn Bay.

In the Premier Division, Frickley Athletic will be looking to climb out of the bottom three when they host Nantwich Town.

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LIVERSEDGE and Pickering Town go head to head tomorrow in a Yorkshire derby in the Premier Division.

Liversedge are currently in third place, five points behind leaders Cleethorpes Town, while Town are just six points behind their opponents in sixth spot.

Sandwiched in between the derby rivals in the table are Curtis Woodhouse’s Bridlington Town who host Worksop Town tomorrow.

Two goals from Nicholas Guest helped Hemsworth Miners Welfare defeat Pickering Town 2-0 in midweek and they could go above Town in the table if they defeat AFC Mansfield at home and the Pikes fail to beat Liversedge.

Elsewhere in the Premier Division, Garforth Town travel to struggling Armthorpe Welfare who have only chalked up one home victory so far this season.

Seventeenth-placed Harrogate Railway Athletic host leaders Cleethorpes Town in buoyant mood having defeated Campion 5-2 in the third round of the NCEL Cup on Tuesday and triumphed 3-2 at Clipstone in the league last Saturday.

Fraser Hansen netted twice against Campion and Stephen Bromley, Daniel Barrett and player-manager Paul Beesley also chipped in with goals.

“I’m happy with the result and it is pleasing to score five goals again,” said Beesley after the game.

“In the first half, we played some of the best stuff I have seen since I’ve been here.

“It helped them going down to 10 men, but we’ve looked a threat all over the pitch and overall I’m a happy man.”

In Division One, fourth-placed Knaresborough Town – who enjoyed a 2-1 League Cup victory over Armthorpe Welfare on Tuesday – travel to sixth-placed Campion while fifth-placed Pontefract Collieries play host to Yorkshire Amateur.

Another Yorkshire derby sees AFC Emley take on Selby Town.

Emley go into the match on a high after Joe Brennan’s hat-trick saw them pick up an excellent 3-1 victory at mid-table Brigg Town on Wednesday evening.

Elsewhere in Division One, mid-table Glasshoughton Welfare play at Eccleshill United while rock-bottom Nostell Miners Welfare host Hall Road Rangers.