Harborough Town Manager Reflects on Memorable FA Cup Journey

Following an eight-goal thriller against Harborough Town, League One club Reading secured their place in the next round of the FA Cup. Harborough Town’s manager, Mitch Austin, stated he could not suppress his inner Jose Mourinho as he observed his non-league team bring Reading to the verge of a notable FA Cup upset. Reading, a former Premier League club, recovered from being a goal behind on two occasions to take the lead against Harborough in the final moments of regular play. However, Kai Tonge dramatically leveled the score with an 86th-minute equaliser for the seventh-tier Leicestershire team, sending the match into extra-time. Austin’s celebration of the goal involved running down the touchline, a moment that echoed Mourinho’s well-known actions as Porto’s manager at Old Trafford in 2004. Despite two goals scored by 10-man Reading within the initial six minutes of extra-time ultimately concluding Harborough’s most successful cup run with a 5-3 loss, Austin expressed his “delighted” sentiment regarding his team’s accomplishments. Speaking to BBC Radio Leicester, Austin remarked, “The 3-3 will live with me forever, certainly running over Jose-esque, just not as slim.” He continued, “‘Vamos, vamos’ is what I was thinking. I’ve never been in that position – Reading away, scoring at the back end of the game to make it 3-3.” Austin further elaborated, “Any other scenario they would have seen that game out, right? But against 10 men, you are thinking ‘hang about, we have a chance here’.” Harborough progressed through four qualifying rounds and defeated fellow non-league team Tonbridge Angels to secure the second-round fixture against Reading, a club positioned over 100 places higher in the English football hierarchy. For what was considered the most significant match in their history, Harborough signed Sandro, a former midfielder for Brazil and Tottenham. The 35-year-old emerged from retirement to start the game, but having been out of competitive play for over two years, he was only able to participate for 45 minutes. At half-time, when the prominent new signing was substituted, Harborough held a 2-1 lead, attributed to goals scored by Freddie Robinson and Riley O’Sullivan. Austin further stated, “I’m proud of the whole day, and I’m proud of the Sandro effect.” He continued, “I thought he was class in the first half. We came in at half-time an he said ‘gaffer, I can’t do no more’.” Austin concluded, “It’s been a fantastic day. They have done the town and the club proud.” On Sunday, Harborough was supported by 3,206 fans in the stands at Reading, an away contingent that exceeded three times the capacity of their own Bowden Park home ground. Austin acknowledged that the cup run has affected their league performance, with Harborough currently contending near the bottom of the Southern League Premier Central table. He now expresses hope that their accomplishments in the world’s oldest cup competition will serve as a catalyst for future improvements. He remarked, “Do we have any regrets? No. We have loads of memories.” Austin added, “It’s been a fantastic journey but now we need to start moving up the league.”