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Kevin
McKenna scores for Harrow |
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| With both teams
lying mid table and Borough
unbeaten in six games the match
looked draw material. And for
the next 20 minutes it was with
most play confined to mid field
with both teams contesting aggressively
each ball. Then Adam Everitt
rising high to head a ball was
seen by the overworked referee
to bring his left elbow down
to a Billericay attackers head.
A melee then ensued and Everitt
was red carded and Darty Brown
yellow carded and the visitors
Wallace luckily escaped with
a yellow.
Aggrieved Borough sought to
regain their shape and composure
but on 28 minutes Wallace trapped
the ball in Borough’s
half, swung across to an unmarked
Essandoh and his placed curling
shot from 22 yards soared into
the far top right past an unsighted
Keito Karamoko. Minutes later
an innocuous header back by
Dean Marney saw Karamoko slip
on trying to gather the ball
and watched it travel past him
towards the goal. Rapidly scrambling
back it was smothered on the
line. Billericay continued to
exploit the left flank with
Graham interchanging with Kerrigan
to set up Graham’s shot
from 12 yards, just missing
the far upright. Then Graham
making space on the flank crossed
to an unmarked Wallace who scooped
the ball over the bar from 5
yards. The next move saw Graham
jink through tackles by Pat
Gavin and Daniel Dyer and lash
the ball towards the bottom
left corner but the advancing
Karamoko managed to dive and
palm round the post. Another
good move by Billericay saw
Penn 5 yards out hit the wrong
side of the post.
On half time Borough’s
pacey Robert Charles raced across
the halfway line and although
shepherded out towards the corner
flag managed to slide the ball
to Fabio Valenti who’s
pass across the goal mouth was
just missed by the inrushing
unlucky Dyer.
Second half saw Borough take
the game to the visitors with
Charles and Valenti going close
and then Valenti getting to
the byline and managing to hook
the ball across goal to the
inrushing Dyer who’s shot
just missed the upright. Then
on 59 minutes and against the
run of play Marney shepherding
the ball back to his keeper
but harassed by Campbell saw
both defenders collide and Campbell
nipping round the bodies slotted
the ball easily home for an
early xmas present.
Borough, heads high, continued
to fight on and the referee
continued to dish out more yellow
cards to both sides in a very
entertaining but niggly match.
On 72 minutes Borough’s
determination paid off when
Valenti’s dash along the
left wing to the by line, saw
the ball swing into the centre
where a marked Kevin McKenna
made room and hit a left footed
drive through a packed area
into the far corner netting.
Borough looked for the equaliser
and Valenti now on the right
flank crossed to an unmarked
Richard Goddard whos text book
header downwards towards the
goal saw Jerome John superbly
springing to his left to push
the uprising ball round the
post.
The visitors came more into
the game as Borough tired with
the on loan Campbell carving
his way through the home defence
but his shot was smothered by
Karamoko. Campbell continued
to torment the defence but this
time his shot went across the
goal mouth and past the far
post. The final move saw Campbell
again best the Borough defence
getting into the penalty area
and shooting powerfully but
Karamoko managed to half block,
but the ball was still travelling
goalwards until the overworked,
Gavin, poacher turned gamekeeper,
brilliantly hooked over the
bar.
This was a match Borough might
have won with eleven players
on the pitch for the entire
game & they will have to
ensure that lessons have been
learnt as they go to high riding
Purfleet next week.
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