Seeking to secure their place in the League Two playoffs, Notts County travel to Wetherby Road to face bottom-half side Harrogate Town in their penultimate league fixture of the season on Saturday afternoon.
The Magpies are looking to complete their first league double over the Sulphurites after winning the reverse fixture at Meadow Lane by a 1-0 scoreline six months ago.
Match preview
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Harrogate have secured their League Two status for the fifth year running after they came from behind to beat Fleetwood Town 3-1 on home soil last weekend, thanks to second-half strikes from Jasper Moon, Ellis Taylor and Tom Cursons.
The Sulphurites have extended their impressive unbeaten home run to 10 matches (W6 D4) and have climbed up to 19th in the table, nine points clear of the relegation zone with two games left to play.
Simon Weaver's side are unable to match or better last season's points tally of 63, but they will endeavour to finish the campaign on a high by winning their remaining fixtures against Notts County and basement club Morecambe as they eye up finishing as high as 17th.
Having accumulated 68% of their League Two points on home soil this season (34), Harrogate will fancy their chances of success this weekend, although they have suffered defeat without reply in their last two meetings with Notts County.
The Magpies had aspirations of securing automatic promotion from League Two this term - a year on from finishing 14th in their first season back in the EFL after four campaigns in the National League - but a four-game winless run (D1 L3) has seen them slip down the standings.
Stuart Maynard's side were on course to claim three valuable points at home to Cheltenham Town last weekend, but they let a one-goal lead slip with 15 minutes remaining to lose 2-1, all but ending their top-three hopes.
Notts County now sit sixth in the table and six points behind third-placed Bradford City heading into their final two games of the season, while they will secure a playoff spot if they win against Harrogate and eighth-placed Colchester United fail to beat fellow top-six hopefuls Salford City.
The Magpies have in fact failed to beat both Colchester (1-0) and Bradford (1-1) in their last two away games, but they do boast the second-best away record in the fourth tier, with only league leaders Doncaster Rovers (38) having collected more points than Maynard's men (34).
Team News
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Harrogate boss Weaver could name the same side that beat Fleetwood last time out after stating that his side have "got a formula" and he "won't change the team to the detriment of the team's performance".
Bryn Morris and Ben Fox could therefore links arms in midfield once again as Dean Cornelius is still nursing an injury, while Stephen Dooley and Ellis Taylor could both provide support in attack for Jack Muldoon and Josh March, who has scored a team-high eight goals this season.
As for Notts County, they are still having to cope without Sam Austin, Scott Robertson and Lucas Ness, but first-choice goalkeeper Alex Bass returned last weekend after seven games out injured and will retain his place between the sticks.
Alassana Jatta (18) and David McGoldrick (17) are second and third respectively in the race for the League Two Golden Boot - behind Bromley's Michael Cheek (22) - and both players are expected to start in attack.
Harrogate Town possible starting lineup:
Belshaw; Azare, O'Connor, Moon, Bilongo; Taylor, Dooley, Fox, Taylor; Muldoon, March
Notts County possible starting lineup:
Bass; McDonald, Platt, Bedeau; Gordon, Abbott, Palmer, Grant; Traore; Jatta, McGoldrick
We say: Harrogate Town 2-2 Notts County
A closely-contested battle between one of League Two's in-form home teams against the second-best away side in the division is set to take place. Notts County will be keen to build up some positive momentum ahead of a possible playoff campaign, but we can see a buoyant Harrogate outfit claiming at least a share of the spoils this weekend.
For data analysis of the most likely results, scorelines and more for this match please click here.
Oliver Thomas
