The frenzied start to the season continues with the Bank Holiday Monday visit of The Bees to Latimer Park.
Harborough have been prolific in their first four games securing three wins (4-0 Needham Market, 1-3 at Bury Town and 2-0 St Ives) and a 1-1 draw (at home against Spalding) in the month of August. Their performance leaves them in fourth place in the league with ten points. The Bees have a tough run of games post the Poppies match with a home FA Cup tie against Leek followed by league games at home versus high flying Halesowen Town and Quorn.
Kettering Town are also unbeaten in the league to date, and reside in second place on goal difference behind the only other team not to drop points, Bishop’s Stortford who play Royston Town at home on Monday. Injuries to Forsyth, Crowther and Oppong sustained in the recent win away at Real Bedford will hopefully be minor and with the return of Lobjoit, Simon Hollyhead should be able to choose from a full squad the only exception being Andoh who was still on the treatment table for the games against the Pirates.
Despite being so geographically close there is not a rich lineage in terms of head-to-head games. However, who could forget last season’s playoff semi-final when the Poppies won on penalties although Harborough comprehensively beat us at their place following a draw at Latimer Park in the corresponding fixture.
With both teams in excellent form, the game will be a cracker but hardly season defining at this early stage of the campaign.
Enjoy the game.
COYP!
HARBOROUGH TOWN
Season V Comp F-A Att: Poppies Scorers
2024-25 H PISLPC 1-1 1596 Johnson
A PISLPC 1-2 1500 Fifield
H PISLPCSF 0-0* 2760
*Poppies won 4-3 on penalties, after extra-time
POPPIES WINS: 0 GOALS FOR: 2
BEES WINS: 1 GOALS AGAINST: 3
DRAWS 2*
Played for both clubs (23)
Goalkeepers
Chris Carruthers, Taras Petranyuk, Kamran Glen, Jamie McAlindon, Robbie Maddox, Solomon Akinshade, Pat Noubissie, Callum Milne, Michael Shamalo, Jordon Crawford, Paul Malone, Joel Carta, Rhys Hoenes, Ethan Johnson, Gary Mulligan, Brett Solkhon, Connor Kennedy, Silvano Obeng, Luca Miller, Sidik Atcha, Ben Stephens, Liam Dolman, Devon Kelly-Evans.
League debuts (1)
Terell Pennant 01:01:25 (a)
HARBOROUGH TOWN
Manager Mitch Austin
Ground Harborough Town Community Ground
Nickname The Bees
Leag Pos (4th) 10 Pts from 4 games
Leading leag Scorer (3) O’Sullivan
THE BEES SO FAR…..
Date Comp Opposition R F-A Att Goalscorers
Aug 9 PISLPC Needham Market W 4-0 596 Stephens (p), Kennedy, Rose, Arlott-John
Aug 12 PISLPC Spalding United D 1-1 610 Walsh
Aug 16 PISLPC Bury Town W 3-1 Hickey, Malone, O’Sullivan
Aug 23 PISLPC St Ives Town W 2-0 533 O’Sullivan.2
HARBOROUGH TOWN – THE LAST 5 SEASONS
LEAG P W D L F A PTS POS
2024-25 PISLPC 42 20 11 11 65 42 71 5th
2023-24** PINPLM 38 29 4 5 91 24 85 3rd
2022-23 PINPLM 38 20 7 11 71 50 67 8th
2021-22 UCLPS 38 33 3 2 119 20 102 1st
2020-21* UCP 12 5 3 4 19 19 18 NV
** 6 points deducted – fielding an ineligible player
* Season null & void – Covid-19