Harborough assistant boss Hayes issues FA Cup warning

Assistant boss Tom Hayes is warning the Harborough Town players against complacency as they prepare for a trip into the unknown in the first qualifying round of the FA Cup on Saturday.
By The Newsroom
Published 1st Sep 2022, 11:32 BST
Updated 1st Sep 2022, 16:12 BST
Harborough Town manager Mitch Austin saw his side claim six points from two matches over the Bank Holiday weekend (Picture: Andrew Carpenter)Harborough Town manager Mitch Austin saw his side claim six points from two matches over the Bank Holiday weekend (Picture: Andrew Carpenter)
Harborough Town manager Mitch Austin saw his side claim six points from two matches over the Bank Holiday weekend (Picture: Andrew Carpenter)

The Bees make the trip to the west midlands to take on Lye Town who are situated neat Stourbridge and play in the Midland League Premier Division.

Mitch Austin’s men will go into the game off the back of a superb Bank Holiday weekend that saw them claim back-to-back Northern Northern Premier League Midlands Division wins over Shepshed Dynamo and Daventry Town.

Confidence is going to be high, but Hayes knows the trip to Lye is not one that the players can take lightly, even though their hosts play a step down from them.

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"We will hopefully get a report on Lye, but I don't know too much about them," Hayes told HTFC media.

"From what I have been told it is quite a small pitch and a bit bobbly, so it might be a bit of a scrap.

"They are from the league below but we won't emphasise that to the lads because it can be dangerous to go in thinking about that.

"I don't think they've made a very good start to the season either, so we have to make sure the lads are mentally prepared for the game."

Lye actually claimed their first league win of the season on Monday, winning 2-1 at Uttoxeter while Harborough were winning by the same scoreline against visitors Daventry.

Town took early control as goals from Joel Carta and Rhys Kelly had them 2-0 up inside 22 minutes before Daventry pulled one back with 12 minutes remaining to set up a tense finish, but Borough held on.

On Saturday, Borough had to come from behind after home side Shepshed went in front after just two minutes.

James Ireland levelled the match on 24 minutes, before adding a second to clinch the points on 68 minutes.

The two wins have lifted Harborough up to seventh in the table, with nine points from five games. Speaking after the win over Daventry, Hayes added: “I don't think it was the finest performance we've had, and we weren't at the level we were on Saturday at Shepshed. But credit to the lads, they showed the character to get the result.

"It means the start we have made (to the season) has been really pleasing."

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