Harrogate manager Simon Weaver hailed the impact of new signings Luke Armstrong and Alex Pattison as both players scored to inspire a 3-2 win over Rochdale.

Armstrong took just five minutes to open his Town account, while former Wycombe midfielder Pattison doubled the hosts’ lead by ending his 52-game wait for a first Football League goal.

The visitors then hit back to level through Alex Newby and Conor Grant efforts before Armstrong won a stoppage-time corner which Warren Burrell fired in to snatch the points.

Weaver said: “It was a great feeling to get the new players scoring and feeling good about themselves. It can only be good for them and the team.

“Luke Armstrong made a massive contribution and it would have been a controversial decision if anybody else was named man of the match. He won so many headers and his hold-up play was excellent, as was his first touch and his finish for the goal.

“Alex Pattison also showed his higher-level ability and that he’s hungry to make his mark here. He’s a player that has such a good future ahead of him.”

Harrogate wrapped up their home programme last season with a 5-4 thriller against Cambridge and, after another ding-dong battle at Wetherby Road, Weaver admitted he wants his team to secure a reputation as entertainers this term.

“We want to be known for scoring goals and for having a go,” he added. “It was a dramatic, action-packed game and it was a bit too end-to-end at times and we weren’t in control for some parts of the game, but we finished better and getting off the mark with three points is what we really wanted.”

New Rochdale boss Robbie Stockdale confessed that his players were given a reminder of what is required at League Two level, with the club having plied their trade in the division above for the last seven campaigns.

“It was our own fault that we lost,” he declared. “You can’t concede three goals and expect to win many games of football.

“I told the players that what happens in both boxes counts for a lot at this level and Harrogate were better than us in that respect. We got off to a terrible start, going 2-0 down so early on and looked a bit shaky.

“We then grew into the game and finished the first half better. Then, when we got a second goal straight after half-time I thought there was only going to be one team that would win it, but we lost control of the game again.

“There were chances at both ends and a fair result might have been a draw, but the winning goal, like the other two for them, was really avoidable.

“We had three debutants in defence and that might have had a slight bearing but, looking back at the goals, they were all really poor play from us.”