Review of the season 2023-24
AUGUST
With work continuing on laying the new 3G pitch and improving the facilities at Rothamsted Park, we started the season with six consecutive away games, starting with a 1-1 draw at Tring Athletic when a late Jake Anthony penalty rescued a point.
There was a familiar face in our midfield as Dave Keenleyside returned to the club he began his senior career with after a spell at Welwyn Garden City.
As if to foreshadow the wettest winter in recent memory, our FA Cup tie at Essex club Stanway Rovers was postponed after a heavy downpour and rescheduled for Tuesday night. With players unavailable we went out of the cup at the first hurdle, losing 3-1.
Hadley Gleeson, a new signing from Colney Heath, hit the target as we got our first win of the season at Shefford Town & Campton. James Younger came off the bench to score twice and Richard Oluwatoyin got the other one in a 4-2 win.
Harpenden needed two late goals to rescue a point at London Lions. Having taken an early lead through Spencer O’Leary, Harps found themselves 4-2 down with 20 minutes left. Substitute Harry Andic pulled a goal back after 86 minutes and then, with goalkeeper Alex Desmond joining the attack for a set-piece, Rhys Monaghan forced the ball over the line to equalise.
Dan Palmer, who had scored at London Lions, was on target again at St Panteleimon, but it took an injury-time winner from Mickey Shuttlewood to secure three points.
Striker James Ewington returned to the club after a career that had taken him to St Albans City at Step 2.
Harps tasted defeat for the first time in the campaign at Leverstock Green, going down 2-0 after a subdued performance.
The league leaders at the end of August were Bigglewsade United. Harpenden, who had been second, slipped to sixth after losing at Leverstock Green. New signing Kyle Rahho was named player of the month.
SEPTEMBER
The grand opening of the refurbished Rothamsted Park was on a scorching hot day when we welcomed Dunstable Town and a huge crowd of 427. Hadley Gleeson scored the first goal on the new 3G pitch with a stunning strike from a tight angle. James Ewington added the second and third before Spencer O’Leary wrapped up an impressive 4-0 win.
Harps followed that three days later with a tight 2-1 home win over Potton United. Biggleswade United handed us our first home defeat of the season and then came an unexpectedly heavy loss to Wembley in the FA Vase. Wembley were in the lower reaches of the Combined Counties League Premier Division North at the time but they cruised to a comfortable 4-0 win.
We rounded off the month with a hard-fought 2-1 win over FC Romania with Ryan Plowright and Archie Fitzgerald getting the goals and a penalty save from Eman Olajide, who was named player of the month.
There were key reinforcements in defence as Archie Locke joined from Hoddesdon Town and Josh Rodrigues returned to the club.
OCTOBER
It was a disappointing month on the pitch as Harpenden slipped from sixth to ninth in the table after failing to win a game. First there was a 1-0 defeat to a physical St Panteleimon team at Rothamsted Park. A few days later there was a 4-0 defeat to Step 4 Ware in the Herts Senior Cup.
October was a busy month off the field with a number of players coming and going. Archie McClelland arrived for a second spell at Harpenden, joining from Bedford Town having won the league last season with Leighton Town before following manager Lee Bircham to Bedford.
Left-back Lewis Williams arrived from Royston Town and Conor Clarke came in for a brief spell before heading on to Stotfold.
Meanwhile, goalkeeper Alex Desmond and striker Jake Anthony both joined Dunstable Town.
McClelland made his debut in a crazy game at Crawley Green – on the night we debuted our new orange away shirt, sponsored by Zappaty. We fell 3-0 down in the second half before mounting a fightback. Hadley Gleeson scored twice and fellow substitute Jamie Riley got the other as we drew level.
As we pushed for a late winner, Crawley hit on the counter-attack in injury time and won a penalty which they converted to clinch the game 4-3.
Heavy rain made conditions tricky at Stansted and we fell 2-0 down inside 12 minutes before pulling one back only for the referee to abandon the game at half-time because of a waterlogged pitch.
Our only league point of the month was earned in a 2-2 home draw against Arlesey Town.
Meanwhile, it was a fantastic month for Harpenden Town Women who beat Toby 6-2 and Brantham Athletic 8-0 to reach the FA Cup first round proper and a dream tie against Luton Town.
NOVEMBER
We started the month with a statement win over fellow promotion-chasers Leverstock Green. It was especially impressive as Harps trailed at half-time. James Ewington got us level within a minute of the restart, then Archie Locke put us in front shortly afterwards. A late third wrapped up a 3-1 win.
A tense goalless draw at Potton United was followed by a penalty shoot-out win over St Panteleimon in the Gladwish
Challenge Trophy.
Winger Reece Crowter arrived from Arlesey Town and scored on his debut as a substitute in a thrilling 3-2 win over
London Lions at the end of the month. Seventeen-year-old goalkeeper Matt Burch made a string of fine saves as he stepped into the side for his first team debut.
A huge crowd of almost 500 watched as we went out of the Women’s FA Cup 3-0 to a very strong Luton Town side.
DECEMBER
League leaders Real Bedford inflicted the heaviest defeat of the season when they ran out 5-0 winners in freezing conditions at Rothamsted Park. Harps conceded early but stayed in the game reasonably well until Real got their second and cut loose in the final 20 minutes. That was followed by a deflating home defeat against Cockfosters, who were developing a reputation as something of a bogey side. Harps were unfortunate that an equaliser was ruled out for an extremely iffy offside decision.
A couple of new signings bolstered the squad. Central defender Tommy Smith returned to the club from Tring Athletic, although it would turn out to be a brief stay. Ben Spaul, on the other hand, arrived from Bedford Town having been a key part of last season’s league champions Leighton Town and quickly established himself in midfield.
Spencer O’Leary dropped down a division, joining Ampthill Town in search of regular first-team football.
It was a happy Harpenden Christmas after a solid 2-0 win at Arlesey Town thanks to goals from Dave Keenleyside and Josh Rodrigues.
A Reece Crowter goal secured a vital 1-0 derby win over Colney Heath on a night when the defence withstood a late onslaught from the visitors.
The final game of the year was a 3-2 home defeat to an impressive Milton Keynes Irish side, despite a strong Harps performance.
George Robinson was named player of the month.
JANUARY
The first game of the new year was another trip to Arlesey, to face ground-sharers Baldock Town. James Ewington scored twice in a 2-1 win.
Jake Anthony returned to the club after his brief spell at Dunstable Town.
Three points slipped away at home to Aylesbury Vale Dynamos. Keenleyside scored twice to give us a 2-1 lead only for Dynamos to strike twice in the final ten minutes.
Penalty shoot-out defeats on consecutive Tuesday night away trips saw us exit two cup competitions. A very late Reece Crowter equaliser forced a shoot-out at Potton United in the Gladwish Trophy. Keeper Eman Olajide scored a penalty and saved a couple but it was not enough. A good performance and a draw at Cockfosters in the Premier Division Cup was followed by another exit on penalties.
The month ended with a 2-1 defeat on a boggy pitch at Stansted.
Meanwhile, Harpenden Town Women faced their closest challengers, Dussindale and Hellesdon Rovers, in back-to-back meetings, losing 3-2 in Norfolk before winning 2-1 at Rothamsted Park to keep the title race finely balanced.
FEBRUARY
A 2-1 home win over Crawley Green kick-started a run of 11 wins in 14 games in all competitions as Harps remounted a bid for the play-offs. A comfortable win at bottom-of-the-table Sawbridgeworth Town was followed by an Archie McClelland hat-trick in an entertaining 4-0 St Mary’s Cup win against Chipperfield Corinthians.
Then came a gritty 2-1 win at Cockfosters. James Ewington gave us an early lead only for the hosts to level. It took McClelland’s second penalty in a week late on to clinch the points after a great Harps display.
Another McClelland goal gave us an early lead at table-toppers Real Bedford. The game turned on two refereeing decisions after similar fouls in the first half. Bedford’s player was booked, Kyle Rahho was sent off. The ten men battled hard but conceded an equaliser just before half-time before the seemingly inevitable Bedford winner in the second half.
Defender Mickey Shuttlewood returned to the club from Colney Heath.
Ben Spaul was named player-of-the month.
MARCH
Wet weather meant Aylesbury Vale Dynamos switched their home game to Rothamsted Park. We strolled to a confident 3-0 win with goals from Reece Crowter and two for Jake Anthony from the bench.
That was followed by an equally impressive 3-1 home win over Tring Athletic and a 4-1 win against Oxhey Jets in the St Mary’s Cup, meaning a first cup final appearance for Harpenden since the 2018 Premier Division Cup win over Welwyn Garden City.
There was a blip against a strong, physical Biggleswade United side, who ran out 3-1 winners and that was followed by a 1-1 draw against Baldock Town. A late Archie Locke header salvaged a point on Non-League Day.
The shock news that St Panteleimon were to fold and withdraw from the league with immediate effect threw the race for the play-offs wide open and lifted Harps into that crucial fifth place.
And the team got back on track with a fantastic 1-0 derby win over Colney Heath, with injury-time heroics from penalty-saving keeper Eman Olajide to deny the hosts an equaliser.
Archie Locke was named player-of-the-month.
APRIL
A Tuesday night trip to Milton Keynes Irish produced arguably the result and performance of the season. First-half goals from Isaiah Hilaire (above) and Archie McClelland put Harps in the driving seat. Rahho was sent off for a second yellow card early in the second half and Irish pulled a goal back straight away. They then laid siege to the Harps goal but the visitors held on to become the first team to win at Irish this season. That was followed by 11 goals in four days at Rothamsted Park. James Ewington hit a first-half hat-trick as Sawbridgeworth Town were thrashed 6-0. Then Stansted were beaten 5-1.
The final home league game of the season was against Shefford Town and Campton, who took a shock lead midway through the first half. Harry Andic levelled the scores with a dipping shot right on half time. The winner arrived with five minutes to spare when Jake Anthony headed home a Keenleyside corner.
A place in the play-offs was confirmed when Cockfosters failed to beat Milton Keynes Irish then, the following night, Harpenden won 2-0 at FC Romania. The opening goal was from Harry Andic – his fifth in four games – and Archie McClelland sealed the points in the second half.
The final league game was a trip to Dunstable Town, who provided stubborn resistance until another Keenleyside corner did the damage. This time it was an inswinging corner – the last touch was off a Dunstable player’s head but nothing was going to stop Keenleyside claiming it.
That victory meant Harpenden ended their campaign knowing they’d face Leverstock Green in the play-off semi-final – the only question was whether Leverstock Green would get a point in their final game three days later to secure third place in the table and home advantage.
Harry Andic was named player of the month for April.
Harpenden Town Women finished the season with a 5-1 win at Fakenham Town and a 3-0 home victory over Mulbarton Wanderers to finish their campaign top of the table. However, Dussindale & Hellesdon Rovers had two more games to play so Harps had to wait to see whether they’d done enough to win the title and promotion. Top scorer Sophia Amanor bagged an incredible 51 goals in all competitions. Check out the women’s team results and fixtures for the 2023-24 season.
MAY
A record crowd of 917 packed Rothamsted Park for the play-off semi-final against Leverstock Green. Unfortunately the result wasn’t to be as the visitors took a fourth-minute lead and doubled it shortly before half-time. A third Levy Green goal in the second half ended Harps’ hopes of promotion although Archie Locke scored a consolation goal in injury time. Nevertheless, it was a fantastic occasion and the third-place finish in the league equalled the club’s highest finish since the Spartan South Midlands League was formed in 1997-98.
On a warm, mid-May evening at Hemel Hempstead Town’s Vauxhall Road ground, we met Leverstock Green again, this time in the St Mary’s Cup final. Having won the promotion play-off final and the Gladwish Challenge Trophy, the Trees were chasing a treble and they took the lead from the penalty spot after 15 minutes. However, the Harps roared back in the second half, inspired by a Jake Anthony hat-trick and a string of top saves from man-of-the-match Connor Coulson in goal. It meant Harpenden’s men’s team ended the season with their first piece of silverware since 2018.