05 Oct 2026
Harborough Town 3 St Albans City 2 (FA Cup, third qualifying round), photos Amy Hughes
Dempsey Arlott-John was the hero for Harborough Town as his 101st minute strike knocked St Albans City out of the FA Cup in an extraordinary game that Saints could, perhaps should, have won, writes Jess Unwin.
City were unbeaten for eight games in all competitions before Saturday’s cup tie while their opponents – who do play one step up from Saints in the football league pyramid in the National League North – had only won one of their previous five league games.
So, it seemed like a good time to come up against the Leicestershire outfit from Market Harborough. Certainly, Saints held their own in a first half of few real chances, and it was they who finally broke the deadlock a minute into first-half stoppage time.
Striker Kai Brown showed he can do defensive duties too by winning back possession for the Saints on the touchline before his pass found Mikey Faulkner, who was once again playing in a central attacking midfield role, in lots of space in the Town half.
With teammate Inih Effiong free to his right and a Bees defender in front of him, Faulkner nevertheless bet on himself, shifted the ball to his right foot and curled his shot beyond keeper Elliot Taylor to make it 1-0. A great goal from a young player in great form.
After the break, St Albans keeper Sam Donkin did well to stop Riley O’Sullivan’s strike before Jack James cleared a Bees cross off the City goal-line. At this point, it looked like the home side, who had failed to score in each of their previous four league matches, might again be having ‘one of those days’.
And at the other end, Faulkner nearly got a second for himself and City but his rocket from the edge of the box was tipped over the bar by Taylor. Defender Zak Sowden-Fletcher then blasted wide soon after and Ollie Knight’s effort from distance was just off target.
In search of an equaliser, Harborough manager Mitch Austin made multiple changes to his team. Arlott-John was one of those substitutes, and it was he who levelled the score on 84 minutes, drilling the ball low into the corner with his left foot and bringing a roar of relief from the Bees fans in the 1,092 crowd.
Their hearts must have been in their mouths moments later, however, when Saints could have sealed victory. Effiong drove forward on the break and put Knight in on goal, but he was denied by an outstanding save from Taylor. The man between the sticks for the Bees was kept busy as he then had to stop shots from Jake Gray and Remi Sutton.
With everyone watching now twitching with nerves, Town looked to have scored the winner on 98 minutes when Arlott-John came flying through a crowd of bodies to head home and make it 2-1 – but there was so much more to come.
Two minutes later, Effiong stuck out a leg to beat Taylor to the ball and in the ensuing chaos he followed up to make it 2-2, prompting ecstatic celebrations among the St Albans players and supporters and seemingly earning Saints a replay.
Just a few moments after the re-start, and with everyone expecting the referee to blow for full time, Arlott-John decided that wasn’t the end of the story.
He chased down a loose ball and hit a right-foot shot that seemed to catch out Donkin and sailed into the back of the net, completing the ‘perfect’ hat-trick and breaking City hearts.
Post-match, St Albans City manager Gary McCann admitted he was “emotionally distraught”. Talking to the club’s YouTube channel, he said: “It’s mixed emotions because you’re really proud of the performance … but the bottom line is we’ve lost the game 11 minutes into stoppage time.”
City went to five at the back after 83 minutes while still 1-0 up and McCann said he would “take accountability” for that shape change perhaps playing a part in Harborough’s late fightback. But he pointed out that the players would also need to take accountability for defensive errors with each of the three goals conceded.
He added: “The defeat today stings but now we need to get back to where we need to be because the fixtures come thick and fast in the next few weeks. We’ll be ready for Carshalton this Saturday.”
• St Albans City’s return to league action this coming Saturday (10th) against Carshalton Athletic will be away at the War Memorial Sports Ground. Kick-off is 3pm.
The following Tuesday (13th), Saints are back at Clarence Park for a local derby in the Herts Senior Cup. Their opponents will be Hitchin Town, the present holders of the cup.
