Match Preview

The Hawks are back in action in the FA Cup, travelling to Cambridgeshire-based St Ives Town.

This match marks the first time that the two clubs meet, despite both being relatively old and established clubs. Harlow Town were formed in 1879, while St Ives followed eight years later in 1887, but different leagues and cup draws have always kept the two clubs separate since then.

To progress to the 2nd Qualifying Round, both sides have come through two previous rounds. St Ives beat Norwich United 6-2 in a Preliminary Round replay, having drawn the first match 1-1. They then went on to scrape through against Welwyn Garden City with a 1-0 win.

The Hawks’ progress has been a bit more straightforward, beating both Southend Manor and Bedford town by five goals to one.

This 2nd Qualifying Round will prove to be a challenging game for both sides. Both teams play at step 4 of the non-league pyramid, and both have started the 2015-16 campaign well. St Ives are currently placed third in their league table, with 15 points from 8 games. Harlow have dropped to 6th with 20 points from 10 games.

The form of both teams has been good. Harlow’s defeat against Thamesmead during the week ended a winning run of seven games, while St Ives have only lost one of their 11 competitive games so far this season.

Interestingly, both sides currently boast the second highest home attendances in their respective divisions, and with a supporter’s coach and several cars making the journey, a good atmosphere is on the cards.

For travelling fans, the stadium address is:

St Ives Town Football Club
ProEdge Westwood Road
St Ives
Cambridgeshire
PE27 6DT

Kick off is at 3:00pm, on Saturday 26th September 2015.

Don’t forget, if you can’t make the game, you can follow goal and match updates on the Harlow Town FC Twitter and Facebook pages.