Harrogate boss Simon Weaver praised his team’s character and ability as they leapt into the top half of League Two following a 2-1 home win over Accrington.
For the first time since August 2021, Harrogate secured maximum points after conceding the opening goal at their Wetherby Road ground with George Thomson’s stoppage-time effort sealing victory after he had set up Jack Muldoon’s equaliser to cancel out Jack Nolan’s second-half opener for the visitors.
The victory ended a run of four straight defeats against Stanley for the Sulphurites, dating back to the clubs’ Unibond League days in 2002/03, with a delighted Weaver hailing a “perfect Christmas” following a third league win on the bounce.
He said: “We always knew it would be a testing game. Accrington have a great squad of players, with a talented youthful look about them and a smattering of good experience so, to turn things around from 1-0 down, makes it a perfect Christmas.
“We showed character and ability to keep level-headed when we were losing the game and we fought back well. I thought we played terrifically well in the first half without scoring.
“They then picked their game up in the second half and it was disappointing to go behind, but we worked so hard to turn the result back in our favour.
“It was a great moment to see Thommo get the winner, too, after it had just been announced that he was the man of the match.”
Weaver added further praise for goalkeeper James Belshaw, who has featured in all three victories since returning to the club on an emergency loan deal from Bristol Rovers.
“They had an opportunity at the end from a (Brad Hills) free header and I thought it was in, but he made a fantastic save,” he said.
Accrington boss John Coleman reasoned that his players paid the price for uncharacteristically going to “sleep” at two set-pieces, but argued his team’s overall performance merited greater reward.
He said: “It’s frustrating to lose to a late goal, but we’ve got to be positive about how we played. We absolutely dominated the second half and deservedly went 1-0 up.
“I couldn’t see them scoring at that point with the way we were pinning them back. But a cheap free-kick was given and we have defended set-plays really well this season, so I was very disappointed to concede one the way we did.
“We then had a great chance in injury time but their keeper has made a great save, so it could have been us leaving the pitch with a win.
“Instead, we conceded a free-kick, which was definitely a foul, and went to sleep again with nobody picking up their man at the back post.
“Two free-kicks have ended up hurting us, but I don’t think even the most-biased Harrogate fan would say they deserved to win the game on the balance of play.”
CF Montreal v Nashville SC: Munthali aiming to get Coyotes back on track
Nashville SC interim head coach Rumbani Munthali aims to get a more recognizable look about the team as he prepares for his second game in charge against CF Montreal.
Gary Smith, who led Nashville for seven years, made a shock exit following their 2-0 win over Toronto FC on May 16, with Munthali stepping up from player development coach to take his place.
Nashville’s first game under him ended in a 1-1 draw with Atalanta United on Saturday, leaving them 11th in the Eastern Conference.
With little time to put his stamp on the team, Munthali believes being able to welcome back injured players will help to get them back on track.
"I think as you see players come back into the team [from injury], you see that we're starting to be a little more recognizable as a team that went on a 10-game undefeated streak last season," Munthali said.
"What I would hope is you get a team that represents what the club is: hard-working, forward-thinking and positive, and I hope that's a team we can put onto the field that will compete from start to finish.
"I think those are the cornerstones of who we are as a club."
Montreal are on a four-game losing streak that started with a 4-1 defeat to Nashville, and head coach Laurent Courtois accepts they need to do more to get back to winning ways.
"Doing my 'job' is not enough. We have to be ready to offer a little 'extra' and help each other out. For the moment, in fits and starts, I have the impression that we are just doing our job.
"Now, we are doing our mea culpa, we are coming back to things that we thought we had figured out."
PLAYERS TO WATCH
Montreal – Sunusi Ibrahim
In the absence of top-scorer Matias Coccaro, Ibrahim netted Montreal’s lone goal in their defeat to Toronto last week. Montreal have scored in all four games during their current losing run, with the Nigerian extending that run.
Nashville – Hany Mukhtar
Mukhtar attempted five shots, including scoring Nashville’s lone goal from the penalty spot, against Atlanta United on Saturday, taking him to 404 career shot attempts in regular-season MLS play. No other player has attempted 300 shots since Mukhtar joined the league in 2020.
MATCH PREDICTION: DRAW
Montreal’s lone win in eight all-time meetings with Nashville SC came in their last home match against them, a 1-0 win in June 2023. Nashville has won five of the other seven meetings (D2), including a 4-1 victory on May 4.
However, Nashville have won only one of their last 15 MLS away matches (D5 L9 incl. playoffs) dating back to early June 2023. Nashville scored three goals in the lone win in that time (3-0 at Kansas City) but have totaled just five goals in the other 14 matches.
Meanwhile, Montreal have lost four straight matches within a single regular season for the first time since September 2020. They haven’t lost five in a row in a single regular season since a five-match losing run to end the 2017 campaign.
OPTA WIN PROBABILITY
Montreal – 39%
Draw – 27.8%
Nashville – 33.2%
Guardiola: Making history is 'extra motivation' for Man City
Pep Guardiola believes making more history is "extra motivation" for Manchester City as they prepare for the FA Cup final against Manchester United on Saturday.
City became the first side to win the English top-flight in four successive seasons after edging Arsenal to the title on the final day by two points.
On Saturday, they have the chance to win an unprecedented back-to-back league and FA Cup doubles against United if they win the FA Cup.
Guardiola says making history is a benefit for his side, but they should already have all the motivation they need to win at Wembley.
"If history gives us a chance to do something not done before, try it," Guardiola said.
"Maybe [it will be] extra motivation for players. I didn't speak about this specifically to the players. Playing for a win, a trophy, is enough.
"No teams have done four in a row; none have done back-to-back doubles. That is because it is not easy.
"We are going to London to perform well. [It's the] same routine, not forgotten - defending our crown one year until next season.
"We are happy, satisfied. Saturday we will go for it with all we have. I want to be beaten because they were better, not because we weren't who we are."
City finished the Premier League season 31 points better off than their city rivals as United finished in their lowest-ever league position in the competition.
Despite the vast difference between the sides this season, Guardiola backed the Red Devils to bounce back.
"The respect is there," he added. "[You] can't compare, the last Premier League to first Premier League.
"I won't compare United to another period, it's unfair. Our team is here, maybe tomorrow [it is] different. It can be different, nothing is eternal. I'm sure United will work to come up again."
Al-Riyadh 2-2 Al-Nassr: Laporte sent off for punch as Al-Nemer salvages point
Former Manchester City defender Aymeric Laporte was sent off for punching Mohammed Al-Aqel on the arm as Al-Nassr played out a 2-2 draw with Al-Riyadh in the Saudi Pro League.
Meshari Al-Nemer's 97th-minute strike salvaged a point for Al-Nassr, who had trailed for over half the game and played with a one-man disadvantage for over half an hour.
Otavio had put Al-Nassr ahead only for Andre Gray to drag the hosts level, before Al-Aqel gave David Ospina no chance with a terrific overhead kick to make it 2-1.
Al-Nassr's position was put in further jeopardy when Laporte was sent off following a bizarre off-the-ball incident which saw him grab and punch Al-Aqel on the elbow, while Cristiano Ronaldo came up with a glaring miss from Sadio Mane's pass across the six-yard box.
Al-Nemer levelled at the death for Al-Nassr, though they still sit some 14 points adrift of champions Al-Hilal, who could complete an unbeaten season against Al-Wehda on Monday.
Data Debrief: Laporte's horror show
It was a game to forget for Laporte, whose bizarre punch on Al-Aqel put Al-Nassr up against it versus a team still in danger of relegation.
Laporte did not attempt a single tackle in the game while his four duels contested were the joint-fewest of every outfield starter (alongside Khalid Al-Shuwayyi). He was also sent off in Al-Nassr's AFC Champions League quarter-final tie against Al Ain in March.
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