Harleston Town warm up for FA Cup debut with 5-1 opening day home victory against Soham Town Rangers

Danny Crow’s Harleston Town got their 2023/24 Thurlow Nunn League Premier Division campaign off to a flying start with a thumping 5-1 opening day home win against Soham Town Rangers this afternoon.

While it was a rude awakening for new visiting manager Brett Whaley it produced the perfect mood music ahead of Harleston’s first ever Emirates FA Cup tie which arrives a week today with the visit of higher-league Kempston Rovers (3pm), two days after the famous trophy itself visits the town.

Five different scorers ended up celebrating for The Magpies, who had held a 2-1 interval lead before producing a dominant and clinical second-half display to soon wrap up the three points and leave Whaley with plenty to think about ahead of Tuesday’s home game with Downham Town (7.45pm).

Brett Crisp’s diving header opened the scoring in the sixth minute for the hosts after Josh Durham’s left-sided corner was nodded on to the far post by Latvian-capped defender and former Middlesbrough professional Josh Wells – one of Crow’s eye-catching new additions.

Soham responded well though in a frenetic start and got themselves level 10 minutes later. Captain Ryan Auger released Joe Carden on the break and the former Bury Town wideman beat a chasing defender before rounding the keeper providing a low finish into the far corner.

Only a goal-line clearance from skipper Matt Cook, with Sam Borrer only fit enough for the bench, prevented Ryan Sharman’s header following a looping Carden cross giving The Greens the lead in the 19th minute.

Up the other end former Bury Town and King’s Lynn Town winger Chris Henderson, who left Lowestoft Town in the close season to join good friend Crow at Harleston, showed great footwork to shift his way past a trail of defenders before a lunging challenge from Cameron Watson blocked his shot.

Harleston created a number of chances thereafter to regain the lead, with Josh Durham, from a free kick, and Crisp sending low efforts wide before new signing Liam Jackson saw his 41st minute header kiss the top of the crossbar on its way over.

Henderson then produced a moment of magic in the first minute of stoppage time, plucking a long raking pass out of the air and before going on to fire an unstoppable half volley in across goal from the right side of the penalty area.

It was no less than the hosts deserved but the response Whaley would have called for at half-time from a side that featured five new additions including a 16-year-old at centre-back in Lowing Hercules, did not arrive as Niall Conroy was soon picking the ball out of his net once again.

Less than five minutes of the less half had elapsed when a Durham free kick from the right was allowed to bounce through to the far post where Wells was on hand to nudge it over the line.

Jackson had the ball in the net with a curling effort from inside the box in the 55th minute but the whistle had already blown to acknowledge the offside flag.

A fourth goal did follow in the 64th minute though. A throw-in from the left saw Rob Turner get on the ball and cut inside before dispatching a low shot into the bottom left corner from 22 yards out.

With subsitutes having interrupted the flow of the game, there was a rare sight of goal for Soham 16 minutes from time when Sharman did well to out-muscle Wells but his shot flew wide of the right hand post from outside the area.

A minute later, up the other end, a Durham corner found substitute Borrer free, but his stabbed effort was blocked by his team-mate Turner before Soham eventually got the ball to safety.

The Greens almost got a second consolation goal four minutes from time but substitute Brody Warren saw his effort after some neat footwork clip the outside of the left-hand post.

Up the other end substitute Harrison Hide saw his header land on the roof of the net.

But the fifth goal did arrive a minute later, with 87 on the clock, via fellow sub George Barber who fired low into the bottom corner from just outside the area after the ball was worked inside from the right wing.

It capped a fine afternoon for Harleston and their supporters who will now turn their attentions to the excitement of being involved in an FA Cup match for another significant landmark in their club’s history.

Harleston: Pride, Hitch, Keeley, Wells (Ebbage 86’), Cook (Russell 78’), Durham, Manning, Crisp (Borrer 60’), Henderson (Barber 67’), Turner (Hide 78’), Jackson.

Booked: None.

Soham: Conroy, Lewis (Sutcliffe 78’), Topping (Warren 61’), Auger (c), Hercules, Watson, Carden, Jackaman, Cristica, Sharman, Chipps. Unused subs: Mulready, Palmer.

Booked: None.

Attendance: 135.

SuffolkNews Man of the Match: Josh Durham. The 18-year-old home-grown talent has become a star player in a deep midfield role and showed his range of passing and pinpoint set deliveries to great effect once again. New signings Chris Henderson and Josh Wells also very much caught the eye.