GCE Hire Fleet United Counties Football League
Reserve Division
Wednesday 1st April 2026
Desborough Town Reserves (1) – (2) Harborough Town Under 21’s
Photo – MGK Captures
Report – Josh Unsworth
Harborough Town U21s were crowned UCL Reserves Division champions in dramatic fashion on Wednesday night, overcoming Desborough Town Reserves 2–1 away from home in what proved to be a memorable and hard-fought encounter.
The young Bees began on the front foot and dictated the early exchanges, settling quickly into their rhythm and moving the ball with confidence. Their intent was clear from the outset as they looked to impose themselves, but it was the hosts who struck first against the run of play. After 12 minutes, Tom Mills rose highest to head home, giving Desborough the lead and leaving goalkeeper Alexander Fisher with no chance despite Harborough’s bright start.
Harborough responded well and showed great character to bounce back, continuing to apply pressure in the final third. Their persistence was soon rewarded as they found a deserved equaliser. Following a cleared corner, Bakari Furbert reacted quickest to regain possession and set up Zak Gillespie, who fired home a superb left-footed finish to make it 1–1 and bring the Bees firmly back into the contest.
The turnaround was completed shortly after, with Furbert turning from provider to goalscorer in a well-worked attacking move. A flowing passage of play saw Archie O’Donnell’s effort blocked, but the ball fell kindly to Furbert, who made no mistake in dispatching it to give the visitors a 2–1 advantage and complete a swift comeback.
After the interval, the young Bees continued to dictate proceedings, managing possession with maturity and composure while probing for further openings. They restricted Desborough’s threat while carving out chances of their own, looking the more likely side to extend their lead. A particularly dangerous move down the right saw Reece Loyal deliver an inviting cross, with Lovell Edwards narrowly missing at the back post in what was a chance that could have put the outcome beyond doubt.
As the match moved into its closing moments, tension increased with so much at stake, and the latter stages were overshadowed by unsavoury scenes. In the 90th minute, a mass confrontation between players resulted in two Desborough Town players being sent off for violent conduct. The situation escalated further as a number of Desborough Town FC supporters entered the pitch, creating a chaotic end to an otherwise well-contested fixture.
Despite the disruption, Harborough maintained their composure to see the game out, and the final whistle confirmed a memorable victory for the U21s. The result sealed the league title in style and capped off an outstanding season for the young Bees, who have shown consistency, resilience and quality throughout the campaign.
After the match, U21 Head Coach Josh Unsworth said:
“I’m absolutely delighted to have won the league with this group of young players.
Every week, they give me 100% and they proved today what great human beings they are. I’m the luckiest manager in the world to get to coach them.”