Simon Weaver hails Harrogate response after come-from-behind win

Simon Weaver praised the “really positive” reaction of his Harrogate side to falling behind as they hit back to win 2-1 at struggling Colchester.

The visitors fell behind in the 62nd minute when Chay Cooper curled a delightful strike into the top corner from the edge of the area after being picked out by Cameron McGeehan.

But Harrogate equalised less than three minutes later through Matt Daly, who finished clinically from close range from Sam Folarin’s pass.

And Folarin scored the winner in the 80th minute when he picked out the top corner with a fine effort from the edge of the area after Levi Sutton’s blocked attempt had fallen into his path.

Weaver said: “I’m really proud, especially with the reaction to going a goal down.

“We’ve been here (Colchester) the previous three years and lost games when we’ve played average, we’ve played well, we’ve played poorly and come away with nothing.

“We knew at half-time we could regroup and go again.

“The first half wasn’t a scintillating half, but it was a professional away performance where we conceded very few chances and we just needed to up it, on the ball.

“We’ve got a determination this year to be the best in the league to reacting to a disappointment.

“When we gave them the opportunity to go a goal up which they took advantage of, we saw a really positive reaction from the lads.

“They showed a real togetherness and turned it round and turned the game on its head.

“Sam (Folarin) made a telling contribution and Matty Daly’s finish spurred us on.”

Colchester have now lost their last four games in League Two, with this defeat leaving them languishing second from bottom of the table.

Boss Ben Garner said: “We’ve got this horrible habit of shooting ourselves in the foot at the moment, even when we’re much the better side and in complete control of the game.

“We shouldn’t have been vulnerable after we scored.

“They hadn’t done anything up until then and hadn’t had a shot on target.

“Harrogate sit, they frustrate, they try and slow the tempo of the game and it was all about getting the first goal.

“It was always going to be that type of game.

“We had complete control of the game and went 1-0 up when it was hard to break them down and we get that brilliant goal. They hadn’t had a shot on target, up until that point in the game.

“But for the five to 10 minutes after that, we’re intent on making it a basketball game.

“They had two shots on target and they both go in.”