MATCHWATCH : Harborough Town (h)

[Snowflake Royal]

https://www.theguardian.com/football/2024/nov/30/cupcakes-sandro-and-a-gladiators-champ-inside-harborough-before-fa-cup-tie-of-their-lives

"Can Reading have an off-day?"

Reading that, I almost want them to win!

[The Cap]

https://www.theguardian.com/football/2024/nov/30/cupcakes-sandro-and-a-gladiators-champ-inside-harborough-before-fa-cup-tie-of-their-lives

"Can Reading have an off-day?"

Reading that, I almost want them to win!

Makes me wonder how many cupcakes they offered to get Sandro on board.

[SouthDownsRoyal]

I'll be livid if we mess this up. Imagine the financial help a plumb tie away in a 50k+ stadium which is televised could be. They're 7th tier and we're at home.

Completely agree. We should be putting this to bed early on then hoping for a nice third round tie to bring some money in.

So, we will either mess this up or draw stoke away in the third round

[Snowflake Royal]

I'll be livid if we mess this up. Imagine the financial help a plumb tie away in a 50k+ stadium which is televised could be. They're 7th tier and we're at home.

Completely agree. We should be putting this to bed early on then hoping for a nice third round tie to bring some money in.

So, we will either mess this up or draw stoke away in the third round

I think our first priority has to be to protect what few experienced senior first team players we have. Which means putting out a young, largely untried team and the risk of losing that entails.

January sales are approaching, Campbell's contract is up soon I believe, and we're back to cashflow issues.

The money would be nice, but an injury to a key player could be crippling andsend us on a loss spiral.

Normally I'd be all up for it, but our squad is just so fragile. We're likely to need a lot more from the likes of Ahmed, Senga, Rushesha, Akande, Sackey, Kanu, Camara and Wareham... so lets give them as much time as we can where we can. And if they lose, ah well. Shit happens. No key injuries. Plus we make Harborough's century.

[Clyde1998]

Any update on how ticket sales are doing?

Looks like roughly 4,250 sold so far (notwithstanding hospitality and disabled), plus the roughly 3,500 from Harborough.

As someone else suggested and I said a few weeks ago, I imagine we'll get up to 5,000 home sales (including hospitality and disabled).

[SouthDownsRoyal]

I'll be livid if we mess this up. Imagine the financial help a plumb tie away in a 50k+ stadium which is televised could be. They're 7th tier and we're at home.

Completely agree. We should be putting this to bed early on then hoping for a nice third round tie to bring some money in.

So, we will either mess this up or draw stoke away in the third round

I think our first priority has to be to protect what few experienced senior first team players we have. Which means putting out a young, largely untried team and the risk of losing that entails.

January sales are approaching, Campbell's contract is up soon I believe, and we're back to cashflow issues.

The money would be nice, but an injury to a key player could be crippling andsend us on a loss spiral.

Normally I'd be all up for it, but our squad is just so fragile. We're likely to need a lot more from the likes of Ahmed, Senga, Rushesha, Akande, Sackey, Kanu, Camara and Wareham... so lets give them as much time as we can where we can. And if they lose, ah well. Shit happens. No key injuries. Plus we make Harborough's century.

Completely agree with this but even with few senior experienced first team players we still should be winning this.

So disheartening to still be limping along in the limbo we are regards January sales but as you say shit happens, we are all pretty numb to it all now.

Be an interesting game tomorrow.

[Clyde1998]

It will be very interesting to see what the team will be. I imagine it will be similar to the Fleetwood side, but given we have a league game on the Tuesday, it could be weaker.

I'd guess something like:

Button
Ahmed - Dean* - Holzman/Kanu - Garcia/Dorsett
Rushesha - Spencer - Sackey
Akande - Wareham - Camara

*If Dean is unavailable: use the other of Kanu or Holzman.

[AthleticoSpizz]

Yep, start with our capable youngsters and second stringers, but have the ‘big boys’ on the bench incase things are going awry.

Obviously

[tmesis]

Earlier in the week you could get 45/1 on a Harborough victory. Nothing higher than 16/1 now, which is probably still generous.

Yes, even our reserves should win this one, but if they can come and be organised then our young players might find it difficult. Sandro could be something of a distraction for them, rather than a bonus, but you never know. He could make their players raise their game, or just be on a totally different wavelength and disrupt them.

One of the odd things about their cup run is that they aren't really doing that well in the league - 15th in the Southern League Central, and don't have games in hand over anyone either.

[Clyde1998]

Earlier in the week you could get 45/1 on a Harborough victory. Nothing higher than 16/1 now, which is probably still generous.

Yes, even our reserves should win this one, but if they can come and be organised then our young players might find it difficult. Sandro could be something of a distraction for them, rather than a bonus, but you never know. He could make their players raise their game, or just be on a totally different wavelength and disrupt them.

One of the odd things about their cup run is that they aren't really doing that well in the league - 15th in the Southern League Central, and don't have games in hand over anyone either.

They won their last game 4-1 against Banbury (H), but lost 3-0 at Hitchin and 2-1 at home to Bishop's Stortford.

Their FA Cup run so far has been; Harborough are level seven:

1. Q1 - Darlaston Town [Lvl 8] - 0-0 (H) / 3-2 (A)
2. Q2 - Stourbridge [Lvl 7] - 4-2 (H)
3. Q3 - Leamington [Lvl 6] - 1-0 (H)
4. Q4 - Bury [Lvl 9] - 1-0 (H)
5. R1 - Tonbridge Angels [Lvl 6] - 4-1 (A)
6. R2 - Reading [Lvl 3) - TBC (A)[/list]

Of the two sides they've played in a tier above them, it's only been one level above them - they successfully avoided a National League side in the fourth qualifying round and League One, League Two or National League sides in round one.

For reference, the Marlow side we beat in the Berks & Bucks Cup final were level eight last season - with them getting promoted to level seven.

[Crowbar6753]

Always loved a good cup game against non league opponents back in the Elm Park days , even more stoked that its being played on Sportsnet World over here in Canada so get to watch the game live @ 7am.
This is Harborough's cup final and hopefully a crowd of 8,000+ with lots coming from the midlands will make it a fun day out. This should be a comfortable win and i really hope we show them some respect as the FA Cup does tend to throw up the odd upset and this if it were to happen would be up there with the biggest.

[Fox Talbot]

I'll be livid if we mess this up. Imagine the financial help a plumb tie away in a 50k+ stadium which is televised could be. They're 7th tier and we're at home.

Completely agree. We should be putting this to bed early on then hoping for a nice third round tie to bring some money in.

So, we will either mess this up or draw stoke away in the third round

I think our first priority has to be to protect what few experienced senior first team players we have. Which means putting out a young, largely untried team and the risk of losing that entails.

January sales are approaching, Campbell's contract is up soon I believe, and we're back to cashflow issues.

The money would be nice, but an injury to a key player could be crippling andsend us on a loss spiral.

Normally I'd be all up for it, but our squad is just so fragile. We're likely to need a lot more from the likes of Ahmed, Senga, Rushesha, Akande, Sackey, Kanu, Camara and Wareham... so lets give them as much time as we can where we can. And if they lose, ah well. Shit happens. No key injuries. Plus we make Harborough's century.

Completely disagree. Get the strongest team out, win the game and then use youngsters. Lose this and we have collapse of morale and we’re missing money that is real low hanging fruit. Also, respect the opposition and the competition.

[South Coast Royal]

Completely agree. We should be putting this to bed early on then hoping for a nice third round tie to bring some money in.

So, we will either mess this up or draw stoke away in the third round

I think our first priority has to be to protect what few experienced senior first team players we have. Which means putting out a young, largely untried team and the risk of losing that entails.

January sales are approaching, Campbell's contract is up soon I believe, and we're back to cashflow issues.

The money would be nice, but an injury to a key player could be crippling andsend us on a loss spiral.

Normally I'd be all up for it, but our squad is just so fragile. We're likely to need a lot more from the likes of Ahmed, Senga, Rushesha, Akande, Sackey, Kanu, Camara and Wareham... so lets give them as much time as we can where we can. And if they lose, ah well. Shit happens. No key injuries. Plus we make Harborough's century.

Completely disagree. Get the strongest team out, win the game and then use youngsters. Lose this and we have collapse of morale and we’re missing money that is real low hanging fruit. Also, respect the opposition and the competition.

Yes agree with you and have said so previously along with Sutekh and others.

Start with the strongest and if we get 2-0 up then make the changes.
The money from winning this game and from further progress is very much needed and we should be thankful that the opposition is bringing so many which will help as well.

As for injuries, most of those happen in training so we shouldn't be over-protecting our players-players want to play and sitting around in the cold doesn't help especially when we see so little warm-up when the subs are called upon.

[Sutekh]

I think our first priority has to be to protect what few experienced senior first team players we have. Which means putting out a young, largely untried team and the risk of losing that entails.

January sales are approaching, Campbell's contract is up soon I believe, and we're back to cashflow issues.

The money would be nice, but an injury to a key player could be crippling andsend us on a loss spiral.

Normally I'd be all up for it, but our squad is just so fragile. We're likely to need a lot more from the likes of Ahmed, Senga, Rushesha, Akande, Sackey, Kanu, Camara and Wareham... so lets give them as much time as we can where we can. And if they lose, ah well. Shit happens. No key injuries. Plus we make Harborough's century.

Completely disagree. Get the strongest team out, win the game and then use youngsters. Lose this and we have collapse of morale and we’re missing money that is real low hanging fruit. Also, respect the opposition and the competition.

Yes agree with you and have said so previously along with Sutekh.

Start with the strongest and if we get 2-0 up then make the changes.
The money from winning this game and from further progress is very much needed and we should be thankful that the opposition is bringing so many which will help as well.

Start strong and sub off when able. At the end of the day it's utterly ludicrous the club didn't push the Cambridge game back and give the best chance for both competitions but then is not a surprise given the utter joke way the club has been run for years.

[traff]

Anyone know if the football buses are running from Shinfield park today?

[stealthpapes]

Q2 - Stourbridge [Lvl 7] - 4-2 (H)

Just to say, if you're in the area, one of my all-time favourite non-league grounds, one of the finest spur lines in the country and some cracking pubs.

oh, game today is it?

[traff]

https://www.theguardian.com/football/2024/nov/30/cupcakes-sandro-and-a-gladiators-champ-inside-harborough-before-fa-cup-tie-of-their-lives

"Can Reading have an off-day?"

Reading that, I almost want them to win!

It’s a shame that none of their fans will be able to buy a program to mark the day .

[Snowflake Royal]

Completely disagree. Get the strongest team out, win the game and then use youngsters. Lose this and we have collapse of morale and we’re missing money that is real low hanging fruit. Also, respect the opposition and the competition.

Yes agree with you and have said so previously along with Sutekh.

Start with the strongest and if we get 2-0 up then make the changes.
The money from winning this game and from further progress is very much needed and we should be thankful that the opposition is bringing so many which will help as well.

Start strong and sub off when able. At the end of the day it's utterly ludicrous the club didn't push the Cambridge game back and give the best chance for both competitions but then is not a surprise given the utter joke way the club has been run for years.

The obvious point here is that you can only sub a limited number of players and the risk of injury is there from the first minute. Plus mass subs disrupts the team.

[Clyde1998]

I’m in the ground (in a box today). The Harborough players are taking it in; they’ve been on the pitch for at least twenty minutes now (probably longer, as they were on the pitch when I got here!).

[Sutekh]

Decent team