Non-League and Academy football writer

On Tuesday evening I travelled to Milton Keynes, to cover a Spartan South Midlands Football League Division Two fixture, between Milton Keynes College and Harpenden Town Development, at Sport Central MK. Milton Keynes College had won one and lost two, from their opening three league matches of the new Division Two season. Harpenden Town Development had also won one and lost two, from their opening three league fixtures of the 2025/26 season. This step 7 match was won 3-2 by the away side, Harpenden Town Development.

Milton Keynes College would start this game at the better intensity, early on. After Milton Keynes College captain Tristan Hargreaves had delivered a good corner-kick which had found a teammate inside the Harpenden box, a Harpenden defender would do well to clear the ball away, off the goal-line and from the player’s header on goal. Around five minutes later for the home side, the impressive Tom MacDonald would take the ball forwards down the left-hand side of the Harpenden penalty area. His powerful and low resulting effort on goal was however, well parried away by the Harpenden goalkeeper – Robbie Clarke. 

Despite the home side having started the game well, moving the ball around with both pace and purpose, it was Harpenden Town, slightly against the run of play, who would take an early lead. A good and well weighted through-ball pass from midfield by Harpenden’s captain Miles Habashi, would find the run of centre-forward Noah Arthur-Tinworth, in behind the home team’s defence. In to the box and through on goal, Arthur-Tinworth was under pressure from a recovering defender. But, he would finish well past the outrushing goalkeeper and in to the right-hand corner of the goal, 0-1.

A couple of minutes after Robbie Clarke had gathered a headed effort on his goal following a cross in to the Harpenden penalty area, Milton Keynes College would deservedly draw level before half-time. It was a tremendous goal and effort from Tristan Hargreaves, who stepped to the ball inside of the home team’s half of the pitch, before driving forward with it at pace, showing some good skill in the process. With Harpenden having been slightly caught out on the counter, Hargreaves would continue forwards with the ball, before sending a brilliant effort from well over 30 yards out, over Clarke and in to his goal with the goalkeeper having been slightly off his goal-line, 1-1.

Milton Keynes College would also start the second half of this contest well. After the recently introduced Harry Stevenson had received a short pass down the right-hand side of the Harpenden box, Stevenson would hit a low effort on goal which was well cleared away from his goal by Clarke. Yet soon after that chance for the home side, they would take the lead for the first time in this game. Some superb skill and pace from Tom MacDonald to go on a long surging run right through the middle of the Harpenden defence after he had knocked the ball forward, would see him enter the left-hand side of their box. After losing the ball for a moment he then managed to regain it, showing really good ball control on the byline, before playing it across to Max McKenna-Mannall who finished low in to the goal, 2-1.

Following that goal for Milton Keynes College, Valentino Qoku and Daniel Marjanovic’s Harpenden Town Development side now needed to react. Some good work from hardworking Harpenden midfielder Edward Clement, to work the ball to the left-hand side of the home side’s box, would result in Clement crossing the ball low to Noah Arthur-Tinworth at the goalkeeper’s near post. His first time side-footed effort was well pushed away by Finlay Penniston-Walker. Then at the opposite end of the pitch, a good passing move from the home side would result in Tom MacDonald seeing his back-heeled effort from the centre of the Harpenden box, gathered by Robbie Clarke.

Soon after Tom MacDonald’s effort on the Harpenden goal, and the away side would show some great character as a team, to score two quick goals. The first of which came courtesy of a fine effort from Govind Bains, who got to the ball on the edge of the home side’s penalty area, before curling a good and accurate low effort in to the bottom right-hand corner of the goal, 2-2. Then soon after, a free-kick was awarded more than 25 yards out from the Milton Keynes College goal, out on the left-hand side of the pitch. Edward Clement would elect to take it, as his whipped effort would go beyond everyone inside of the box, including over the goalkeeper, and in to the top right-hand corner of the goal, 2-3. Only Edward Clement will know if he meant to go for goal!

The game had now opened up further, with Milton Keynes College really looking to go forward with the ball, in order to get at least a point from this game. After Harry Norman’s short pass had found Dylan Sutton just inside of the Harpenden box, Sutton’s resulting low effort was well gathered by Clarke. Next, and Harpenden would counter forward with the ball, as Noah Arthur-Tinworth went forwards with the ball in midfield, before passing it forward to Joe Lowther. The Harpenden substitute would take the ball forward, down the right-hand side of the box, but his low effort on goal was well saved by the outrushing Finlay Penniston-Walker. 

In the final minutes of the game, a lofted ball over the Harpenden defence would find the run of Harry Norman, who took the ball at pace in to the penalty area. Through on goal, it looked as if Norman could well make it 3-3, but for an outstanding sliding recovery challenge from Miles Habashi. This was a performance of real character from Harpenden Town Development. It was a game in which Milton Keynes College, who played some really good football, could well have won, but for a spirited team performance from Harpenden, who would get back in to a winning position, before seeing out the game thanks to some big defensive performances. This was a good and very competitive game of football.

For Milton Keynes College, I thought that their two best performances from this game, came from Tom MacDonald, who was very good and influential with the ball in wide and forward areas, and their captain – Tristan Hargreaves, who put in an excellent all-round performance. Hargreaves also scored an outstanding goal to make it 1-1. For the away side, I thought that there were some big performances from Miles Habashi, Govind Bains, Robbie Clarke, William Ascough, and Noah Arthur-Tinworth. However, my player of the match award from this game goes to the match winner – Edward Clement, who put in a tireless all-round performance, doing some really good work in central and forward areas of the pitch.