Harrogate Town and Rotherham United continue their pre-season preparations for the 2022-23 campaign with a friendly battle at Wetherby Road on Tuesday evening.
Simon Weaver's side opened their exhibition period with a 2-0 defeat to Sheffield Wednesday on Friday, while the visitors have already beaten Parkgate and Fleetwood Town.
Match preview
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For 13 years now, Simon Weaver has been in control of the reins at Harrogate Town, and the 44-year-old will now attempt to keep his side in the Football League for the third year running.
The hosts have managed 17th and 19th-placed finishes in League Two since being promoted from the National League in 2020, but their first meeting with higher-tier opposition this summer was a foregone conclusion before the half-time whistle blew.
Josh Windass and Michael Smith were on target for the Owls in the first half to kick off Harrogate's pre-season on a sour note, but Weaver was at least able to hand opportunities to a wealth of new arrivals against the League One club.
Huddersfield Town and Barnsley will also make the journey to Harrogate during the Sulphurites' summer schedule, and Weaver's side could have done with taking a leaf out of Rotherham's book given their solid start to pre-season.
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Fleetwood Town and Rotherham United locking horns behind-closed-doors in Croatia is a collector's item indeed, and it was the Millers who would enjoy the bragging rights at Park Plaza thanks to a brace from Georgie Kelly.
Paul Warne's side had previously run out 4-2 winners away to 10th-tier side Parkgate as they finally attempt to stop their yo-yo streak between the Championship and League One, where Rotherham have followed a pattern of promotion then relegation for the past six seasons.
A second-placed finish in League One means that Rotherham have another chance to try to consolidate their place in the second tier, and amassing a string of victories together in pre-season is a surefire way to start on the front foot.
Salford City, Mansfield Town, Doncaster Rovers and Crewe Alexandra will all welcome Rotherham to their respective headquarters before the month is up, and a friendly between the Millers and Harrogate last summer ended in a 3-1 success for the Championship club.
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Team News
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Harrogate came through their showdown with Sheffield Wednesday unscathed, and as many as five trialists were involved for the League Two club on Friday - four of them in the second half.
Left-back Joe Mattock departed Rotherham for Harrogate earlier this summer and now prepares for a swift reunion with his former employers in a friendly capacity.
Peter Jameson and Kyle Ferguson should also feature from the first whistle at Wetherby Road, with Luke Armstrong spearheading the attack.
Meanwhile, Rotherham did not come through their 70-minute match with Fleetwood unscathed, as Hakeem Odoffin caught an elbow to the face and will need to be assessed ahead of this one.
New signing Jamie McCart was also not involved in Croatia due to a knock, and Cameron Humphreys could come into the XI if Warne does not feel the need to risk Odoffin.
Harrogate Town possible starting lineup:
Jameson; Welch-Hayes, Ferguson, Richards, Mattock; Austerfield, Pattison, Daly; Thomson, Armstrong, Dooley
Rotherham United possible starting lineup:
Johansson; Harding, Humphreys, Wood, Bramall; Barlaser, Lindsay, Rathbone; Bola, Washington, Kelly
We say: Harrogate Town 0-2 Rotherham United
Rotherham could certainly be in a far better position fitness-wise right now, but the Millers have stuck to the task at hand in pre-season and will welcome a return to English soil.
Harrogate may get some useful intel from former Millers defender Mattock, but the fifth-tier hosts are fighting an uphill battle to get anything out of this one.
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Ben Knapton
