Harrogate Town head into Wednesday’s clash on the back of a 2-0 win against 10-man Morecambe, with Luke Armstrong and George Thomson grabbing the goals in a relatively-straightforward home win.
Thanks largely to Farrend Rawson’s second-half red card, Harrogate finished the game with 59% possession and 16 shots, while the visitors managed to register a solitary attempt on target throughout the contest.
It would not be unfair to say that Harrogate have made an inconsistent start to the 2023-24 season, as Simon Weaver’s men have recorded three wins and three losses across all competitions, keeping three clean sheets while also conceding six goals.
Following a 1-0 victory over Doncaster Rovers on the opening weekend, the Sulphurites dispatched Carlisle in the EFL Cup before suffering three consecutive defeats in the league, falling to Forest Green Rovers, Tranmere Rovers and Accrington Stanley.
Since gaining promotion to the EFL in 2020, Harrogate have failed to make it to the third round of the EFL Cup in three attempts – and they will have to overcome Championship opposition to buck that trend this time around.
Blackburn Rovers, meanwhile, claimed a hard-earned 1-0 victory over Watford last weekend, with Ryan Hedges scoring the only goal of the game midway through the second half.
Despite facing a barrage of 24 shots while seeing just 34% of the ball, the visitors managed to weather the storm and leave Vicarage Road with all three points, picking up their second victory in four Championship matches in the process.
Links >> Stream 1 HD Stream 2 HD Stream 3 HD Stream 4 HD
Managed by former AC Milan and Newcastle United striker Jon Dahl Tomasson, Blackburn have taken seven points from a possible 12 in the league this term, having agonisingly missed out on last season’s playoffs on goal difference.
Three weeks ago, Rovers came from behind on two occasions to rescue a wild 4-3 win against Walsall in the first round of the EFL Cup, with the Championship side racking up 75% possession and 13 shots against the League Two outfit.
Blackburn won the EFL Cup back in 2002 but have failed to reach the quarter-finals in any of the previous 11 seasons, falling in the second round on four occasions since 2012.
