A few days before, the 33-year-old custodian arrived at Wetherby Road on an emergency loan deal. He made his second debut for the Sulphurites this past weekend, leading them to a 3-1 victory over Notts County at home.
Jonathan Mitchell injured his knee during practice on Monday, forcing Belshaw, who was with the team for four great seasons from 2017 to 2021 before departing for Bristol Rovers, to be drafted in.
Mitchell only signed a short-term contract with Town at the beginning of November in order to cover for injured starting number one Mark Oxley, but Weaver had no stopper available for Saturday’s matchup against promotion-chasing County until rookie Lewis Thomas became available.
Mitchell only signed a short-term contract with Town at the beginning of November in order to cover for injured starting number one Mark Oxley, but Weaver had no stopper available for Saturday’s matchup against promotion-chasing County until rookie Lewis Thomas became available.
Belshaw returned to Harrogate match-ready after completing another emergency loan spell with League Two rivals Forest Green, despite hardly playing for parent club Rovers this season.
And the crowd favourite returned with ease to his familiar surroundings, only having Jodi Jones’ incredible free kick in the second half prevent him from keeping a clean sheet.
Weaver praised Belshaw’s comeback, saying, “He added to the room with his enthusiasm, energy, and passion for the club.”
“And during training, his aptitude was evident to all at once.
“With Belly in the build-up play against Notts, it was like having an extra player; he’s obviously really composed on the ball and gives the team confidence.”
“From that point on, it just looked right. He made a fantastic stop in the first half, which changed the course of the game.”
Although it is unclear how many more appearances Belshaw will add to the 185 he has already made for Town during his loan period, it is likely that he will play in each of their next three games, as neither Oxley nor Mitchell are anticipated to play again until well into the new year.
Harrogate will no longer be eligible for a “emergency” loan option, though, as Weaver will be able to bolster his roster with the opening of the January transfer window.
The Sulphurites won their first home game since late September thanks to goals from George Thomson, Abraham Odoh, and Matty Daly on Saturday. This victory moved them up two spots to 16th in the League Two rankings.
