Ilkeston Town: Play-off hero Weaver now stands in the way of Robins' progress

SIMON Weaver will be reunited with Ilkeston Town fans this weekend for the time since firing the Robins to promotion.

Weaver scored the extra-time winner against Nantwich Town in the UniBond Premier Division play-off final at the New Manor Ground back in May.

His dramatic strike secured Ilkeston a place in the Blue Square North.

But Weaver left the club soon afterwards to take up the role of player-manager at Harrogate Town.

Tomorrow, Ilkeston travel to Harrogate's CNG Stadium as they look to re-ignite their push for the play-offs.

And Robins boss Kevin Wilson is in no mood for sentimentality.

"It might be interesting for Simon but it's not for me," said Wilson, who arrived at Ilkeston in the summer.

"I speak to him a lot on the phone but obviously I wasn't at the club when he was here.

"No doubt the fans will have a warmness towards him but I'm sure they will be just as keen as I am to take three points off him."

Harrogate lie bottom of the table but are unbeaten so far in November, having drawn their last two league games, at Fleetwood Town and Gainsborough Trinity, and knocked FC United of Manchester out of the FA Trophy.

"Anybody can beat anybody in this division," said Wilson. "We have seen that this season already.

"So you can never take anything for granted and we certainly won't be doing so.

"We need to be prepared to work hard, take our chances and not let our standard of performance drop.

"If we show the right attitude and application, we have got a good chance."

Ilkeston have been boosted by their FA Trophy third qualifying round replay victory at Mossley in midweek, thanks to two goals from striker Gary Ricketts.

"It was a good win in difficult conditions," said Wilson.

"Now it is important that we get back to winning ways in the league and make a concerted effort to push ourselves back towards the play-off spots."

Wilson believes Ilkeston are entering a crucial stage of the season.

"I always think the six weeks before Christmas and the six weeks after Christmas are vital periods in any season. I call it the 12-week window," he said.

"During this time, the pitches get poorer and the conditions get colder and wetter, so players have really got to work hard and apply themselves.

"In this window, you sometimes have to play percentage football rather than always getting the ball down and passing it all the time. We certainly learned that against Mossley."

Wilson has no new injury concerns for the trip to Harrogate and has allowed forward Joe Harris to join UniBond First Division South side Shepshed Dynamo on a month's loan.