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Eseyas
Yhdego challenges for
the ball |
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| The gloom goes
on for Borough. A battling display
against high-flying Saints ended
without a point. That’s
six league defeats on the trot
for Edwin Stein’s side
but, unlike some of the other
displays in that run, there
were some encouraging signs
and the luck did not go with
the men from Earlsmead on the
day, the referee’s interpretation
of events in the 72nd minute
being the key.
Stein was forced into changing
a side dogged by injury and
suspensions. Mekel Hackett started
having recovered from injury,
and Richard Clarke and Clemente
Lopez were sufficiently recovered
for places on the bench.
The home side dominated the
first half but good defending
by the Harrow rearguard kept
chances to a minimum. Oakes
sent an early free-kick over
the bar, Moran looped a shot
over and Stirling’s effort
was off-target. Keita Karamoko
was called into action in the
45th minute with a fine save
from Oakes.
In first-half stoppage time,
Harrow emerged as an attacking
force. Eseyas Yhdego’s
shot was blocked, Wilmot came
out and saved at Andy Aransibia’s
feet, reacting quickly to dive
on the loose ball before Daniel
Dyer could get a shot in. Aransibia
then drove a shot across the
goal, with no-one on hand to
convert.
Early in the second half, Keita
Karamoko required lengthy treatment
after a hefty challenge. He
probably hadn’t fully
recovered in the 55th minute
when he dropped a cross, and
Crawshaw was on hand to score.
Without a goal since Boxing
Day, the cards were stacked
against Harrow, but Mekel Hackett
was desperately near to equalising
in the 61st minute, Wilmot touching
his shot onto the post. At the
other end, Martin’s sharp
turn led to a fierce shot over
the bar.
In the 72nd minute, Hackett
was put through on goal, and
was dragged down by Wilmot.
Referee Bishop cleverly let
play continue, but when Aransibia
failed to convert the loose
ball, he gave the penalty. Extraordinarily,
Wilmot was lectured but remained
on the field, in fact he didn’t
even get booked. Wilmot then
compounded things, first by
delaying the penalty, marching
out towards the spot twice to
argue about the ball’s
position, and then diving full-length
to his left to touch Fabio Valenti’s
penalty onto the post.
Spirited Harrow continued their
search for an equaliser, and
Campbell had to make a desperate
header clear from Valenti’s
cross. A late mazy run from
Valenti ended with a shot deflected
across the goal, and Richard
Goddard’s header from
the resultant corner was held
by Wilmot.
Richard Clarke’s return
from injury saw him introduced
after 39 minutes for the injured
Dean Marney. His timing of tackles
looked sadly awry, and a booking
after 59 minutes was followed
by a second offence in the 82nd
minute, which saw him become
the 7th sending-off for Harrow
this season.
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