Simon Weaver hailed the efforts of his Harrogate team after they staved off the mathematical threat of relegation with four games left to play of their maiden Football League season.

Goals from Josh McPake and Jack Muldoon, either side of an Andy Cook equaliser, secured a 2-1 triumph over Bradford at Wetherby Road.

The victory completed a double over the Bantams and ended a seven-game run without a league victory.

That sequence had equalled the longest since 2010 during the first season of Weaver’s 12-year tenure.

The Harrogate manager admitted: “It’s been quite stressful waiting to sort things out mathematically, so it’s a great feeling to achieve that in a local derby.

“It was hugely important for us to get a win. It’s been a long time since our last one and it’s been a frustrating spell because, before we dropped off, we were in contention for seventh place.

“There have been so many tight games this season and some have gone for us and some against us. We were dominating their centre-halves in the first half and were biting into tackles behind that.

“In the second half, they got into the game and we were on the back foot but we still sustained our intense style for 90 minutes. They equalised through a very streetwise player in Andy Cook but we won it through Josh McPake’s genius and there was some great combination play from us throughout the game.”

Bradford have now won just one of their last four contests, dropping to 13th in the table and four points off the play-off pace, with joint-manager Mark Trueman acknowledging that the team’s quality levels have slipped during that period.

He said: “We started quite brightly but, after they scored against the run of play, it took the wind out of our sails.

“We regrouped for the second half, got the goal and looked like we would be the only team to win the game but, in key moments, we did not do well enough in and out of possession and that led to their winning goal.

“That’s disappointing, but we will assess everything and try to make the right decisions to win games of football. Performance levels have dropped in the last three or four games.

“We’re still getting the effort, but the quality hasn’t been there. We haven’t been good enough in both boxes and the decision-making has been poor. We’ve got to find a way of getting back on the positive run we were on.”