Weaver challenges Harrogate to escape bottom two

Harrogate Town manager Simon Weaver has challenged his side to ride a "wave of optimism" at the club and lift themselves out of the League Two relegation spots with victory over Cheltenham.

Town go into Friday's game on home turf a point away from safety but on an unbeaten run of four matches and fresh from holding league leaders Bromley to a 0-0 draw last weekend.

Victory against the 19th-placed Robins would lift Harrogate out of the bottom two for the first time since December.

"We have a lot of hard work ahead and it is about keeping it going - it was about starting the engine and moving forward in terms of putting points on the board," Weaver told BBC Radio York.

"We have done that in terms of the last few games but we have got to continue because it's so tight. We want to make a move out from the bottom of the league and we want to do it sooner rather than later."

Weaver feels a Harrogate victory would leave visitors Cheltenham looking over their shoulders at the relegation spots.

"We are in the equivalent of a matchplay situation if you liken it to golf so you want to land psychological blows," he added. "They [Cheltenham] will think they are out of it if they beat us probably.

"We want to draw in as many competitors as possible and we want to send psychological blows to those in and around us. On Friday night we want to be driving home out of the bottom two.

"We have to strike while the iron's hot. We have been making strides, big strides in terms of our performance levels in the last seven games."