Enterprise National League North
Tuesday 8th September, 2026
Harborough Town 0 – 3 Hereford
(Iwunze 50′, Cox 64′, Waldron 90+5′)
Report – James Lee
Photo – Rob O’Brien
Man of the Match – Alex Morris
Attendance – 1069
Bees suffer first defeat at the Beehive in over a year as they fall 3-0 at the hands of Hereford FC.
Manager Mitch Austin made three changes to The Bees’ starting lineup, with Eliot Putman, Sam Osborne and Riley O’Sullivan coming in for Silvio Bello and Michael Jacobs, who drop to the bench. Britt Assombalonga wasn’t in the squad, so young Archie O’Donnell made his return to the squad.
The game got going under the lights at the Beehive, and for the first ten minutes all the action was in the middle of the park, with both backlines standing strong. The first chance of the game came in the 14th minute for Hereford. After a mix-up by George Carline and Elliot Taylor, it fell to Cawley Cox, who tried to pass it into what he thought was an open net, but Bees left-back Eliot Putman was on the line to keep it out. The Bulls forced Taylor into a save two minutes later when Harry Tustin volleyed a clearance which was tipped over the bar.
Harborough had their first chance of the game in the 20th minute, and it came on the counter-attack. Riley O’Sullivan played it to Callum Powell, who ran up the right wing, beat his man and forced a save by goalkeeper Theo Richardson. The Bees continued to push in the 25th minute when O’Sullivan was brought down by Will Merrett, who earned himself a booking. Former Bull Sam Osborne fired the resulting free-kick low and right, forcing a save from Richardson.
Hereford pushed back in the 33rd minute with Joseph James, who unleashed a speculative strike from outside the box which went wide of the post. The Bees had a chance with five minutes remaining of the half, created by Carline with a wonderful first-time ball over the top, finding captain Connor Kennedy’s run, and he tried to pull it back for O’Sullivan, who made his 100th Bees appearance today, but the defender got it clear just in time.
There were no changes from either side at the interval. The first chance of the second half came for The Bees through O’Sullivan, who took down a long ball beautifully and had a left-footed strike which was saved by Richardson. Hereford broke the deadlock ten minutes into the second half, and it came through Harrison Iwunze, who made it six for the season. It came from a long ball which Putman could only head as far as the Notts County loanee, who was clean through on goal and slotted it into the back of the net. Hereford doubled their lead in the 64th minute through Harry Tustin when the ball fell to him just inside the box, and he hit it into the bottom right corner.
The Bees responded well just one minute later. Kennedy received the ball inside the box, and his strike was deflected wide of the goal. The Bees had their best chance of the game so far in the 68th minute as a free-kick was whipped to the back post, where O’Sullivan was waiting to play it across goal, where Alex Morris got on it, and Richardson pulled off a superb save with his chest on the line.
The referee adjudged McAuley to have committed a foul on The Bulls’ goalkeeper in the 72nd minute, which triggered a melee in the Hereford box that resulted in yellow cards for Carline, O’Sullivan and Hereford goalkeeper Richardson. Callum Powell was denied by the post in the 78th minute after being set in behind and lifting it over the goalkeeper. The Bees’ bombardment continued in the following minute from a corner as substitute Paul Malone headed it wide of the goal. The Bees continued to push as the game entered the final five minutes. Arlott-John had a strike which was denied by the bar.
Hereford made it three in the fifth minute of added time. It came on the counterattack; three forwards had the run on one Harborough defender, and it was played to Danny Waldron, who tapped it in from point-blank range.
At full-time, Austin was disappointed with the result and losing the home record. He commented: “Truly beaten in the end and yes disappointing to roll over like that, not only that we’ve had an unbelievable unbeaten record here and we’ve just given it away like that, so I’m really disappointed.”
Harborough Town (4-3-3): Taylor; Carline, McAuley, Morris, Putman; Kelly-Evans (Malone
68’), Kennedy, Mancinelli (Walsh 81’); Osborne (Arlott-John 57’), O’Sullivan (Newton 87’),
Powell (O’Donnell 89’) Subs not used: Bello, Jacobs.
Hereford FC: Richardson; Skinner, Kandola, Merrett, Tustin (Bitemo 73’), Cox (Waldron 75’),
Spokes, James, Iwunze (Martin 88’), Phillips (Williamson 80’), Howkins. Subs not used: Roberts, Lewis, Tolley.
The Bees will have to pick themselves up quickly, as they have a chance to bounce back at The Beehive on Saturday when they take on AFC Telford United.