SIMON Weaver called Harrogate a “team of heroes” after their derby demolition of City.

The Sulphurites’ 3-0 win yesterday was their sixth in nine attempts against the Bantams since becoming a League Two club.

And it was watched by a record crowd of 3,905 at the EnviroVent Stadium.

Weaver said: “I’m just delighted for the players. They have been immense all week in training and taking everything we’ve worked on into the game - a game of magnitude.

"It means a lot to us to win these local games and we know it means a lot to the people of Harrogate and I thought you saw a fully committed display and team of heroes for us.

"We’ve looked at it in training at times to give people an opportunity. The door has been open to give people opportunities, as at home we just haven’t been ripping it up.”

Harrogate’s win was their first in nine games and improved a home record that had seen them beaten 10 times on their own soil.

Long-serving boss Weaver added: "We’ve done great away from home and felt we needed to have a convincing display in front of our own fans and it was good to do it in front of a record attendance.

“We did the ugly side really well. We’ve looked stretched and desperate (before) to search for a goal at home and haven’t quite got the balance right with numbers at the back and been counter-attacked several times.

"I thought we looked solid and right through the middle, the numbers and balance were there and we were an attacking threat throughout - all the ingredients to beat a top side.”