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Keita
Karamoko makes an acrobatic
clearance from Aldershot's
Roscoe D'Sane |
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| In over 60
years of football at Earlsmead
there have been many moments
of great skill. But I would
hazard a guess that there has
never been as bad an individual
error as that committed by Harrow’s
Mali international goalkeeper
Keita Karamoko 11 minutes into
Saturday’s game against
league leaders Aldershot Town.
He made not one, not two, but
three attempts to catch a long-range
visiting shot. The juggling
ended with the ball being presented
at the feet of Shots skipper
Buckle, who was able to walk
the ball into the empty net.
The error was a hammer-blow
to a Borough team that had started
the match well, and set the
match on course for a result
that left the Hampshire side
four points clear at the top
of the league, with Harrow still
looking anxiously over their
shoulders at the relegation
battle that’s closed to
just a few points below them.
Borough began the game with
more purpose than had been seen
all last Saturday at Ford United,
and Richard Goddard was only
prevented from striking for
goal by a bouncing ball that
would not ‘sit’.
But then came the key moment,
with a quickly taken visiting
free-kick leading to the error
and the opening goal.
Harrow had a good spell midway
through the half as they sought
to get back on terms. Clemente
Lopez’s 20-yard free-kick
brought a fine save from Bull,
and from the resulting corner
Dean Marney got in a powerful
goalbound shot that was blocked
by a defender. Then Richard
Clarke and Fabio Valenti set
up Goddard for a wild shot over
the bar.
At the other end Buckle was
close to a second goal with
a header saved by Karamoko,
and then struck a fierce shot
that Perry Norman did well to
block. Holsgrove had two bicycle
kicks, one saved and the other
wide, while another Karamoko
fumble late in the half showed
that his confidence was shaken
by what had happened earlier.
Borough brought on Ross Fitzsimon
at half time for Phil Gridelet,
the veteran midfielder having
been by-passed by much of the
first half action, and two minutes
into the half he danced round
a defender in the box only to
cross beyond the waiting Goddard.
Valenti then failed to get to
a ball before the out-rushing
Bull though he appeared favourite
to reach it first, and Lopez
took one touch too many as he
cut in on goal from the left
hand side of the box, allowing
Bull the chance to make a very
brave save at his feet, which
resulted in the keeper needing
lengthy treatment.
In an exchange of half-chances,
Fitzsimon’s shot was blocked
for a corner, and Anthony Charles’s
diving header went wide of the
Harrow goal. Aldershot scored
the second that sealed their
win after 69 minutes, Browne
glancing a header into the net
from a left-wing cross.
Borough should have pulled
a goal back after 77 minutes
when Goddard was put through
one-on-one with Bull, but the
keeper was able to save at his
feet. Browne’s ‘goal’
for Aldershot was disallowed
for offside, and Karamoko made
a good save from a fierce Holsgrove
shot. Bull ensured his clean
sheet with a save from Norman’s
header, before the game ended
to the delight of the massed
ranks of visiting supporters.
With the transfer deadline
looming, Borough boss Edwin
Stein must be painfully aware
that he needs a forward who
can put the ball into the net.
Robert Charles remains the club’s
leading league scorer, with
7 goals, and he has been sidelined
since Boxing Day with a shin
splints problem. But at the
other end of the pitch he also
has a problem. Karamoko had
an extremely dodgy afternoon
three weeks ago at Hendon, before
his two errors cost Harrow the
points in the last home game
against Basingstoke. But the
mistake today was his worst
yet, and Stein must surely look
around for a keeper who can
stabilise the defence before
a relegation battle becomes
a reality. The next three league
games are each against teams
currently below Harrow in the
table, and have now taken on
massive importance.
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