Austin delight as Harborough sink Spalding to keep promotion play-off dream alive

The Bees maintained their late season push for a place in the promotion play-offs with victory at the Tulips, thanks to second-half goals from Ben Stephens and Ben Starkie.

After a goalless first half, Stephens opening the scoring on 56 minutes, with Starkie settling the match 15 minutes from time as Spalding suffered a first home defeat in the league since November.

The win sees Harborough stay eighth in the table, but they are now just four points behind fifth-placed Stratford Town with a game in hand - with the two teams meeting at the Bee Hive on Saturday!

The win at Spalding stretched Harborough's unbeaten run to five matches, and means they have now lost just one of their past 13 games in a brilliant run stretching back to Boxing Day.

Looking back on the win a Spading, Austin told @HarbTownFC: "I am delighted.

"We knew how big this game was, and how tough it would be as any team that is run by Jimmy Dean is a proper side. They were good, but we were better on the day.

"We won our duels and I am delighted for the boys to come away with three points."

Austin was particularly pleased with his team's clinical edge in what was a huge game for the club, and he added: "What we tried to do was take the pressure off the lads, and not make it as big a game as everybody thought it was.

"We tried to take the occasion away from them, calm them down, and it was a very calm and focused changing room.

"There was very little emotion on Saturday, it was all about being fixated on what we needed to do, and it worked.

"We said that one goal would probably settle it, and we would have been happy to get a draw as we were focused on not losing and being the best we could be on and off the ball.

"But I thought we were good value for the win, we looked like a really good team."

The Bees, who are only nine points behind leaders Bedford Town having played a game less, now have a free midweek before their host Stratford at the Bee Hive on Saturday (ko 3pm).