The draw for the FA Cup threw up a must see match for me, Harborough Town v St Albans City.
Harborough Town, based not far from where I lived for six years and St Albans City where I lived for my first thirty years and whose results I check on first on match days.
On a beautiful sunny Saturday I cruised down the M1 and along the A4304 to get to the match an hour early to ensue parking, a seat in the stand and to meet my son and his two sons who had travelled from Northampton after early morning football matches in Warwick and Heyford. The large carpark at this ground was already full, partly from the rugby match taking place at the adjacent pitch, part of this multi sport complex just over the Northamptonshire border in Leicestershire , south of the town of Market Harborough. Market Harborough, a pretty market town that has seen a major expansion in recent years with major housing developments and an upgraded commuter train line to London. With the football car park full I turned into the leisure centre car park where there was the occasional space being vacated by gym and other sport users.
Harborough Town, have sailed up the Non League ranks which I have written about before, and now play in the National League North. Their all weather pitch, large club house, with an array of solar panels is very much in the modern era whereas their opponents from St Albans have been in existence for over 100 years and their picturesque ground within Clarence Park is an iconic venue. That’s not to say that St Albans are not a progressive club, but they were relegated two seasons ago from The National League South, and after a slow start to this season in the Isthmian League, Premier division North, they were unbeaten in eight matches.
We managed to get seats for all of us and enjoyed the sun before the start. The temperature had risen to 21 degrees with a blue hazy sky dotted with the odd small fluffy clouds.
Harborough Town 3 St Albans City 2
Saturday 5th October 2026, 15.00 pm kick off The F A Cup 3rd round qualifying.
The Beehive, Harborough Town Community Football Ground, Northampton Road, Market Harborough, LE16 9HF
The Bees v City/The Saints Attendance 1092
Harborough Town 17th in the National League North v St Albans City 9th in the Isthmian League, Premier North Division; (one level lower than the hosts).
Harborough Town; All Yellow strip, goalkeeper in all dark grey.
St Albans ; White shirts, black shorts and pink socks, goalkeeper in all fluorescent pink.
The first half was a very cat and mouse affair with Harborough having the lions share of the ball but St albans not looking too troubled by the attacks. As often is the case, out of the blue with the half time whistle expected Mickey Faulkner, picked up the ball midway through the home teams half, drew a defender and cooly curled a right foot shot just inside the right hand post for the away team to take the lead. The Town goalkeeper had no chance with his own defender blocking his view of the shot.
The teams restated the second half and the majority of the play was all towards the City goal although they did have some promising attacks. They couldn’t hold out though with Dempsey Arlott-John equalising with 6 minutes remaining.
St Albans now had 4 good attempts to score but Elliott Taylor in goal for the Bees made two outstanding saves.
With a draw looking likely and a replay beckoning the official indicated 8 added minutes and Arlott – John looked to have stolen it when he headed it into the right hand side of the net after city had headed it clear after two previous attempts.
The excitement wasn’t over and with the 8 minutes up St Albans equalised when a corner from the left wasn’t dealt with by the home defence with Inih Effiong pouncing to smash the ball over the line. Surely now it would be a replay at Clarence Park but with 11 minutes added that man Arlott-John made it a hat trick when unmarked fro 30 plus yards out he hit the winner to the left of Sam Donkin to secure what had seemed to be an unlikely win.
There was no time for City to respond and the bees were buzzing but although st Albans were crestfallen they had matched their higher level opponents and come so close.
Harborough were rewarded with a home draw to Spennymoor in the next round and St Albans will take a good momentum into their important league game at home to Carshalton next Saturday.
I only had a few chips, please excuse the picture, but they were hot, golden, crisp, fluffy inside tasty and not greasy a good score of 67.
Great Programme.
