LEAMINGTON exited the FA Cup at the Third Round Qualifying stage following a 1-0 defeat at Harborough Town.
Harborough, who play one level below the Brakes, scored the game’s only goal on 23 minutes when Ben Starkie found the net at the Bee Hive.
The defeat means Leamington have now failed to progress past the Third Round Qualifying stage for the last 20 seasons.
The visitors saw Josh Quaynor’s early free-kick deflect into the arms of Elliott Taylor before Cally Stewart shot straight at the Harborough goalkeeper from a promising position inside the box.
Harborough made the Brakes pay for that missed chance when Starkie rifled a shot into the bottom corner from the edge of the penalty area after Leamington failed to properly clear their lines at a corner.
After the break, Taylor saved Stewart’s free-kick before Adam Walker fired a shot narrowly wide of the post.
Brakes goalkeeper Callum Hawkins then produced a superb acrobatic save to keep the visitors in the contest.
At the other end, Taylor pushed substitute Tim Berridge’s looping header to safety before making a stunning fingertip save to somehow keep out George Ward’s free-kick from the edge of the penalty area via the aid of the crossbar.
And despite the visitors applying more pressure late on, the Brakes were unable to find an equaliser as their FA Cup journey came to an end.
Leamington host Scarborough Athletic on Saturday, October 5 with kick-off at 3pm at the Your Co-Op Community Stadium.
