Enterprise National League North
Saturday 24th October, 2026
Harborough Town 1 – 1 Worksop Town
(Arlott-John 53′) (Waldock 19’)
Report – Ben Monti
Photo – Andy Murdock Photography
DS Ronald Building Contractors Man of the Match – Eliot Putman
Attendance – 519
Harborough Town came from behind to earn a 1-1 draw against Worksop Town at the Beehive, with Dempsey Arlott-John making amends for a first-half miss to cancel out Liam Waldock’s opener.
Echoes of last season’s remarkable FA Cup qualifying comeback still rang around the Beehive as the two sides met again. There was even something familiar about the strong wind, which helped make this another game of two halves. However, the cold, wet and blustery conditions made it virtually impossible for either side to play free-flowing football, ensuring this year’s encounter was a far cry from the classic we witnessed 12 months ago.
As both sides struggled with the conditions, Harborough were presented with an excellent opportunity to take the lead when Devon Kelly-Evans clipped the ball forward, Silvio Bello cleverly dummied, and Riley O’Sullivan collected it just inside the Worksop box before being brought down. Referee Jack Churchill pointed to the spot, but O’Sullivan was denied by Max Dearnley, who produced an excellent save to palm the penalty onto the post.
Worksop responded well and began to cause problems for the Bees’ defence. Mason Bennett won possession in midfield before releasing Oli Greaves, whose powerful effort forced Elliot Taylor into a fine save, tipping the ball over the crossbar. If you needed evidence of the conditions, exhibit A sums it up quite nicely: Taylor attempted to launch the ball forward, only for the wind to catch it and carry it back behind his own goal for a corner, much to the disbelief of those watching.
The visitors continued to press, with Kelly-Evans throwing himself in front of another Greaves effort before Taylor produced a superb reaction save to deny Vaughan Redford’s close-range header. Worksop eventually took the lead in the 19th minute, although there was some confusion over whether the ball had crossed the line. Greaves squared for Liam Waldock, whose effort was pushed onto the post by Taylor. The assistant referee signalled that the ball had crossed the line, and the goal was awarded despite Taylor’s best efforts.
Harborough struggled to find their rhythm but began creating opportunities as the half progressed. George Carline headed a Josh Walsh corner into the back of Rory McAuley, while Alex Morris couldn’t quite connect with another opportunity following a Kelly-Evans free kick.
The Bees should really have been level after 35 minutes. O’Sullivan did superbly well to hold onto possession, waiting patiently for a gap to appear before picking out Arlott-John completely unmarked in the box. His vision and timing were excellent, leaving Demps one-on-one with Dearnley. Given the form Arlott-John has been in recently, you’d have put your mortgage on him converting. However, the winger found himself slightly off balance, snatching at the opportunity and sending the ball well wide of the upright.
Worksop nearly doubled their advantage before the interval, with Redford flashing a header narrowly wide from an O’Malley corner, leaving Harborough trailing at the break. As expected, the Bees, with the wind behind them, came out of the traps the stronger of the two sides, with Eliot Putman becoming increasingly influential down the left. The defender delivered an excellent ball into the box shortly after half-time, causing a scramble before Worksop eventually cleared.
Carline then came close to equalising when Walsh delivered a corner into a crowded penalty area. The ball bounced around before Carline’s looping header cleared the crossbar.
A minute later, Harborough were level. Putman was involved again in the build-up, with Michael Jacobs picking up the ball down the left after a fortunate deflection off a Worksop player. Jacobs squared it across the box, evading several players in both colours before Arlott-John pounced, making no mistake this time and firing into the back of the net. Redemption.
Putman continued to impress. The left-back was excellent going forward, at one point weaving his way through the middle before releasing Jacobs, who fed Arlott-John. Putman continued his run into the box and was inches away from connecting with the winger’s return delivery. Worksop remained a threat, with Lewis Whitham finding space down the left but firing over, while Carline produced a well-timed sliding tackle to stop another promising attack.
Harborough came agonisingly close to taking the lead in the 76th minute. Putman played Jacobs down the flank with another excellent ball, winning a corner for the Bees. Walsh crossed it low towards the near post, where it came off Morris in a crowded box and struck the upright. At the other end, McAuley was on hand to block a Whitham effort, before Britt Assombalonga had one final opportunity for Harborough. Carline found the striker on the edge of the area, and he turned well to get his shot away, but there wasn’t enough power to trouble Dearnley. Neither side could find a winner, and given the conditions and the chances at both ends, a draw was probably a fair reflection of the afternoon.
Speaking after the game, Mitch Austin was pleased with his side’s efforts and remained positive about the result. “It’s a point gained; I am positive about it,” he said. The gaffer went on to praise the visitors: “I thought they were really good, loads of desire.”
Harborough Town (4-3-3) Taylor; Carline, McAuley, Morris, Putman; Kelly-Evans (Assombalonga 64’), Bello (Kennedy 28’), Walsh; Arlott-John (Powell 70’), O’Sullivan, Jacobs (Malone 82’). Subs not used: Burgess, Toluwaloju, Dolman.
Worksop Town 4-3-3) Dearnley; Cropper (Atherton 45’), Boyce, Moore, O’Malley; Redford, Starcenko, Waldock; Greaves (Essien 65’), Bennett, Whitham. Subs not used: Render, Whitman-Brown, Wedgbury, Hatton, Viggars.
The draw leaves Harborough in 16th, three points above the drop zone, as we head into an extremely tough set of long-distance away trips. November will prove a crucial month in this campaign, with much to learn from the outcomes. If November isn’t tricky enough, the Bees will have to keep their minds firmly on October, closing out the month with a visit to Buxton on Tuesday the 27th, before travelling to the North East to face Hebburn Town on Saturday.