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                                 (4^th) 10 Pts from 4 games

Leading leag Scorer              (3) O’Sullivan

THE BEES SO FAR…..

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        5^th

2023-24**       PINPLM          38        29        4          5          91        24     85        3^rd

2022-23           PINPLM          38        20        7          11        71        50     67        8^th

2021-22           UCLPS            38        33        3          2          119      20     102      1^st

2020-21*         UCP                12        5          3          4          19        19            18        NV

** 6 points deducted – fielding an ineligible player

* Season null & void – Covid-19