- King's Lynn and Harborough Town are meeting for the first time in this opening-day National League North encounter
- Lynn finished well in pre-season with a 4-0 win over Needham Market, but the club has undergone a major rebuild
- Harborough Town are also in good form and arrive at The Walks on the back of a 7-0 win over Coventry United and a 2-0 victory against Chesham United
First ever clash for zero-point sides
Kings Lynn and Harborough Town will be meeting for the very first time when they square off at The Walks on Saturday in what could be a very live opening-day upset spot.
Paul Caddis has rebuilt his Kings Lynn side to be quicker, higher energy and with a better structure than before while retaining the ability to play out from the back and get pace and power in wide areas. The Liner's have had a good pre-season, beating Needham Market 4-0, but we won't really know how well Caddis' plans are working until the season gets underway.
Lynn have added some good senior-level ballast in Ryan Tunnicliffe, who will be expected to run the tempo and keep Harborough's high-press from turning this into a chaotic affair, and Ethan Warne, who is a ball-playing left-footer that will give some composure to the rebuild at the centre of their back four.
Liner’s lack recent form
We can't back the home side at 23/20 because Harborough Town have strong form and their friendly results suggest they can play quickly, press with tenacity and punish sloppy play in transition.
Mitch Austin's men have also built up a good momentum in the summer after three promotions in five seasons and they will come into the 2026/27 campaign with plenty of swagger and no fear.
They can set up in either a 4-2-3-1 or 4-3-3 shape and have enough overlap, width and verticality to the ball in their game to make them a threat to any side in the National League North.
Assombalonga is the danger man
Harborough's danger man is none other than Britt Assombalonga, whose finishing pedigree and sheer presence in the box should immediately elevate them to a different level. But, with Callum Powell, Riley O'Sullivan and Danny Newton also capable of biting, the opposition cannot just focus on the former Stoke striker.
Both teams to score looks good at 13/20, but under 2.5 goals at 9/10 seems like a better play for this clash as it is likely to be a cagey, close-run affair with plenty riding on the first goal.
King's Lynn have a slight advantage in that they are the home team, but the momentum is on Harborough and we think this game is more likely to be a chess match than a shootout. Therefore, the 1-1 draw or one-goal home win is the obvious play in correct score markets.
