'It'll live with me forever' - Bees boss on cup heroics

Harborough Town boss Mitch Austin says he could not contain his inner Jose Mourinho as he watched his non-league side push League One club Reading to the brink of a famous FA Cup upset.

The former Premier League club twice came from a goal down to lead Harborough in the dying stages, but Kai Tonge sensationally forced the tie into extra-time with an 86th-minute equaliser for the seventh-tier side from Leicestershire.

Austin ran down the touchline to celebrate the goal in scenes reminiscent of what Mourinho so famously did as Porto boss at Old Trafford in 2004.

While two goals in the first six minutes of extra-time from 10-man Reading eventually brought Harborough's best-ever cup run to an end with a 5-3 defeat, Austin said he was "delighted" by what his side achieved.

"The 3-3 will live with me forever, certainly running over Jose-esque, just not as slim," Austin told BBC Radio Leicester.

"'Vamos, vamos' is what I was thinking. I've never been in that position - Reading away, scoring at the back end of the game to make it 3-3.

"Any other scenario they would have seen that game out, right? But against 10 men, you are thinking 'hang about, we have a chance here'."

Harborough worked their way through four rounds of qualifying and got past fellow non-league side Tonbridge Angels to set up the second-round tie at Reading, a side more than 100 places above them in the English football pyramid.

The Bees signed former Brazil and Tottenham midfielder Sandro for what was the biggest game in their history.

The 35-year-old came out of retirement and started the match, but after more than two years out of the game he could only manage 45 minutes of action.

When the star recruit was substituted at the break, Harborough were 2-1 up thanks to goals from Freddie Robinson and Riley O'Sullivan.

"I’m proud of the whole day, and I'm proud of the Sandro effect," Austin added.

"I thought he was class in the first half. We came in at half-time an he said ‘gaffer, I can't do no more’.

"It's been a fantastic day. They have done the town and the club proud."

Harborough had 3,206 supporters in the stands at Reading on Sunday - an away following that was more than three times what they can fit into their own Bowden Park home ground.

Austin admits the cup run has impacted what they have been able to do in the league, with the Bees battling toward the bottom of the Southern League Premier Central table.

He now hopes what they achieved in the oldest cup competition in the world will be a springboard to better things.

"Do we have any regrets? No. We have loads of memories," he said. "It's been a fantastic journey but now we need to start moving up the league."