Isuzu FA Trophy First Round
Saturday 25th October 2025
Harborough Town 4-1 AFC Rushden & Diamonds
Newton (4′), Kelly-Evans (24′), Kennedy (77′, 90+4′), Poku (90+9′)
Attendance – 702
Player of the Match – Connor Kennedy
Report – Ben Monti
Photo – RB Media
Connor Kennedy bags a brace and Devon Kelly-Evans scores a screamer in Harborough Town’s 4-1 win over AFC Rushden & Diamonds in a professional home display to progress to the FA Trophy Second Round.
On a sunny afternoon at the Beehive, there was a special moment before kick-off as the club celebrated two loyal servants, Alex Morris and Connor Kennedy, who both recently joined the 100-appearance club. The pair were recognised in front of the new scoreboard, receiving applause from the home crowd. The Bees started on the front foot, showing their superiority from the off. Their bright start was rewarded in the fourth minute when Danny Newton superbly plucked the ball out of the air, controlled it, and drilled low in the bottom corner after excellent work down the left from Morris, whose bursting run to the byline created the opportunity.
Harborough continued to dominate the game, scoring a second on 24 minutes. Midfield maestro Devon Kelly-Evans latched onto a deflected ball on the edge of the box and unleashed a rocket into the top corner for his first goal for the club. The stunning strike left Diamonds’ keeper Lewis Elsom no chance. Bruno Andrade glistened brightest for the Diamonds, driving forward with purpose, taking responsibility for his side, and looking to make things happen. His powerful runs caused problems throughout, and his best chance came when he broke through on goal and tried to round Elliot Taylor, but the Bees’ keeper did brilliantly to deny him. Tyler Winters also went close, forcing Taylor into a stretching save low to his right.
Rushden, who have made a habit of conceding heavily on the road, struggled to contain the Bees’ attacking threat. Kennedy capitalised on a loose ball after a spell of head tennis to poke home Harborough’s third on 77 minutes. Assistant Manager David Staff praised Kennedy’s consistency and leadership, saying: “He’s a proper stalwart. His standards are always really high, he’s an incredible competitor and he’s been in really good form. He drives standards.”
The Bees’ quality shone again in stoppage time when Alex Morris did magnificently to keep the ball alive at the back post, squaring for Kennedy to smash home his second. There was a great moment for the returning Rob Morgan, who made his first appearance of the season following injury, much to the delight of the home crowd. The midfielder thought he had marked his comeback with a goal, scoring late on after a deflected James Taylor strike, only to be denied by the offside flag, though he looked level when Taylor struck. On Morgan’s return, Staff added: “He’s come in and he’s looked quite sharp. He’s a big player for us, really competitive at this level. We know his assets, so we’re pleased he’s back, and he’s happy to be back in.” Despite an otherwise composed performance, a rare Elliot Taylor error gifted Raymond Poku a late consolation, the forward calmly sliding the ball past the keeper.
The Bees will look forward to Monday’s draw, where they will learn their Second Round opponent; however, the focus now well and truly lies on next Saturday, when they travel to Royston Town with the opportunity to return to the top of the table.