Harrogate vs Doncaster Prediction: Another Sharpshooting performance

Harrogate Town welcome Doncaster Rovers in League 2 on Thursday night (20:00, Sky Sports Main Event), with the visitors looking to maintain their place at the top of the table.

Rovers have won four of their opening five matches, while Harrogate have won just one themselves. Below you will find my Harrogate vs Doncaster prediction, featuring match odds and team news.

Harrogate vs Doncaster Odds

*Please click on the link above to be taken to the main Harrogate vs Doncaster page on betfred.com (or app) for all the live betting prices on this match.

Harrogate are 100/30, or a 23.1% chance, to pick up their second league win of the season. League leaders Doncaster are valued at 8/11, giving them an implied probability of 57.9%. The draw is on offer at 13/5 (27.8%).

Both teams to score is available at 8/11 and over 2.5 goals is marketed at 4/5. Doncaster winger Luke Molyneux leads the way in the scoring charts with four goals already, and he is 15/8 to score anytime on Thursday or 9/2 to open proceedings.

Veteran striker Billy Sharp has three himself and he is 8/5 to score at any stage during the match.

Football Odds

Team News

Harrogate boss Simon Weaver may go for a similar team to the one that was narrowly beaten by Cheltenham Town last weekend. Forward Sam Folarin is the team’s top scorer with two goals in five outings, so he is likely to keep his place in the side.

James Daly has been Folarin’s partner in attack and has one goal himself in the league, so this dynamic should be unaltered for the visit of the league leaders. Defender Jasper Moon made his club debut last time out, and he should once again join Toby Sims and Anthony O’Connor in defence.

Given his strong start to the season, Doncaster boss Grant McCann may be reluctant to rotate Billy Sharp up top, although Joe Ironside and Ephraim Yeboah will be hoping for a start.

Midfielder Ben Close recently returned from a lengthy injury spell, but James Maxwell and Richard Wood remain out of the picture for at least several more weeks. Tom Nixon is also a doubt to feature in this Yorkshire clash.

Doncaster to win to nil @ 2/1

Rovers have enjoyed an excellent start to the campaign, winning four of their opening five fixtures. They are currently a point ahead of Notts County in second, and they will want to make sure they remain at the summit.

After toppling Gillingham last week to supplant them at the top of the table, Doncaster will be feeling confident ahead of this trip to face a side who have managed just one victory so far.

Doncaster won that match to nil, and it was their third of the season in all competitions. I think they could be in for another victory and clean sheet combination here as they are already looking to be one of the strongest attacking forces in the division with 10 goals already, but Harrogate themselves have managed just four themselves.

Rovers know that if their season is to be much more successful than last year, meaning ending in promotion, they know that they cannot afford to concede a lot of goals, and that is something McCann is hoping he can change.

They will have been boosted by shutting out the former league leaders last week, so on paper this match should feel much more straightforward, and I think it’s worth backing them to win to nil.

Billy Sharp anytime goalscorer @ 8/5

Sharp is showing that age is just a number as he has enjoyed a fast start to his latest spell with Doncaster. Three goals in the league already, and showing that he is still more than good enough to shine in the EFL.

His form is making life difficult for Joe Ironside, a man who netted 20 league goals last term, but it is a credit to the work Sharp is putting in at the age of 38. The veteran is going to be full of confidence ahead of Thursday’s trip to Harrogate, and I think he will be interested in putting on a show in front of the Sky Sports cameras.

I am confident in backing him to find the back of the net here.

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