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Ross
Fitzsimon - limped off
after 15 minutes |
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| Borough ended
a dismal December that has seen
them take just one point from
15 on offer with an abject,
passionless display at Woodside
Park on Saturday. Playing a
team that last won a league
game on 14 September, they lay
down and presented the relegation
strugglers with a late Christmas
present.
Things started badly for Harrow
when home right-winger Williamson
put over a 4th minute cross
that sailed over the head of
Matthew Ferguson and nestled
in the far corner. A linesman’s
flag was raised for offside,
but the referee ruled that the
player concerned was not interfering
with play.
McKenna shot wide from Davis
Haule’s header before
Harrow suffered a further blow
when Ross Fitzsimon, making
his first start after injury,
had to limp off after a quarter
of an hour. Richard Clarke replaced
him, himself returning from
a three-month injury absence.
Welcome as his return was, he
understandably did not look
match-sharp, and the reorganisation
of the Harrow formation to accommodate
Fitzsimon’s absence was
not a success. A left-wing cross
after 27 minutes found John
unmarked a few yards out and
he headed past Ferguson to make
it 2-0.
Davis Haule set up brother
Brian for a miscued lob that
went wide before the interval,
but Harrow left the field at
half-time in some disarray.
If Harrow could pull back an
early second-half goal, against
a team that had gone through
such a bad run anything could
happen. Brian Haule sent Clarke
through in the inside-right
position for a shot that flew
across the face of goal, but
it was Stortford who scored
next, John making it 3-0 in
the 50th minute, turning in
a right-wing cross.
Substitute Richard Goddard
presented Davis Haule with a
good chance but from six yards
he allowed Desborough to save.
At the other end, Langer beat
Dean Marney and shot across
the face of goal, and Williamson’s
shot was deflected wide.
Davis Haule forced Desborough
to dive to save another effort,
but the scoring ended with a
fourth home goal in the 71st
minute, French beating Clarke
to put in a cross that Langer
crashed home.
Most of those who took the
field in red played as if they
think that their worthy efforts
so far this season will mean
that there will not be the annual
battle against relegation. Wrong!
Safety is far from assured and
Harrow supporters will hope
that before the New Year’s
Day fixture at Enfield they
will feel the mark of Edwin
Stein’s and David Howell’s
boots firmly on their backsides.
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