Pitching In Southern League Premier Central
Saturday 28th February 2026
Harborough Town 3-0 Barwell
Stephens (6), Hickey (43′), O’Sullivan (83′)
Player of the Match – Alex Morris
Attendance – 617
Report – Ben Monti
Photo – RB Media
Harborough Town made it seven wins on the bounce as they cruised past fellow Leicestershire side Barwell 3-0 at the Beehive on what turned out to be a lovely sunny afternoon.
Much of the pre-match talk centred around two names. The first was David Kamara, recalled by his parent club Peterborough United earlier in the week, dealing the Bees a real blow, given his recent form. After the game, Mitch Austin spoke highly of the young forward, “He’s a fabulous kid. He’s come here, been a threat, and got his just rewards. We lose a hell of a player, but it’s great for him”. The second was Brady Hickey. Having spent a decade at Barwell, there was always a sense he might have a say in this one.
Dempsey Arlott-John stepped into the starting line-up and immediately caused problems down the right flank. His quick feet and trickery forced a flurry of early corners, and it took just six minutes for one to pay off. Eliot Putman whipped in a delightful inswinger to the back post, where an unmarked Ben Stephens nodded home. Barwell’s only real encouragement in the opening half came when a loose Devon Kelly-Evans header allowed Anthony Dwyer a sight of goal, but the effort came to nothing. In all honesty, clear-cut chances for the visitors were few and far between all afternoon, limited largely to a couple of half-chances for Dwyer, one blocked, another scrambled wide.
If losing Kamara was a blow, the Bees were dealt a further sucker punch eighteen minutes in. Arlott-John looked set to burst past Ben Gough, who produced an outstanding, perfectly-timed challenge to win the ball cleanly. However, the heavy follow-through left the winger in considerable pain. After a fairly lengthy delay, he was stretchered off to warm but sombre applause. Even without Kamara and now Arlott-John, Harborough continued to control the game. They played some lovely football in spells, building up nicely, recycling possession and waiting for openings. Josh Walsh linked up superbly, once with Riley O’Sullivan, forcing a save from Liam Castle, and once with Luis Rose before seeing his effort deflected out for a corner. Alex Morris, of all people, twice found himself deep in Barwell territory. His first shot was palmed away by Castle; his second flew over the bar.
The second goal felt inevitable. On 43 minutes, Kelly-Evans delivered an inswinging corner that flicked through a crowd of bodies and dropped invitingly for Hickey. The former Canary, unmarked, applied a simple header into the net. Barwell improved after the break, enjoying more possession and passing with greater conviction, yet their attack remained relatively blunt. The Bees looked comfortable, organised and assured. “The second half was about control, but without the ball”, said Austin post-match. Morris glanced over another header from a Putman delivery, while Harborough’s set pieces continued to cause problems. “Great set plays, great routines”, acknowledged Austin. Stephens had a fantastic game, playing an integral role in the front line. In the absence of Kamara, players had to take on more responsibility, a task which Stephens seemed to embrace. “Ben needs a lot of credit; that wide position is working really well for him”, praised Austin.
The third goal arrived ten minutes from time. Stephens released Walsh down the left with a perfectly weighted pass. Walsh skipped beyond his marker and looked certain to score, only for his effort to be cleared off the line. The rebound fell kindly to O’Sullivan, who did not hesitate, smashing home from close range to put the game beyond doubt. The afternoon was capped off when club legend Ben Williams came on late to make his 443rd appearance for the Bees.
Harborough are in fine form as the season enters the business end. However, a jam-packed March sees the Bees play eight times, testing Mitch Austin’s men’s focus, stamina, and resolve to the max. The rollercoaster begins this Tuesday away at Banbury before returning to the Beehive on Saturday, the 7th, to host Worcester City.