Harborough Town winger Jutorre Burgess has earned the praise of manager Mitch Austin for his performance in a 2-1 away win over Samford AFC in the Southern League Premier Division Central at the weekend.

Making his second start in four games, the 18-year-old Bermudian cancelled out Rob Morgan’s nineteenth-minute goal for Samford in the 52nd minute and then provided the assist for team-mate Riley O’Sullivan’s winner six minutes later as Harborough Town completed a fightback at Zeeco Stadium.

It was the second goal as a professional for Burgess since being signed by Harborough from the club’s Emerging Talent Programme in September.

“Taj and Josh [Town Under-23 coaches Josh Unsworth and Taj Loyal], what a player they have given us, and that doesn’t really happen in non-league,” Austin said.

“That is a proper pathway. That is if you’re good enough you’ll get a chance in our first team. It doesn’t matter about age, it doesn’t matter about if you’re 16 or 17, and Jutorre has just turned 18.

“What a player he is and a massive credit to Taj and Josh. They’ve definitely got some credit in the bank for the next few years with that one.”

Burgess continues to go from strength to strength, officially opening his account in a 3-2 league win away to Biggleswade Town last month.

“It was an amazing feeling to watch the ball hit the back of the net for my first professional goal,” the former Hamilton Parish player said at the time.

Harborough are eleventh in the 22-team Southern League Premier Division Central standings with 33 points from 24 matches.

The club also made history by reaching the second round of the Emirates FA Cup this season, the farthest they have ever reached in the oldest football competition in the world, when they lost 5-3 away to Sky Bet League One outfit Reading last month.