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Pat
Gavin, ended the season
in goal |
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| The season
in microcosm. The final game
of Borough’s season saw
so many of the features of the
previous 45 games. Going behind
when on top, a failure to score,
and indiscipline costing them
dear - all features of
many other Borough games this
season, and served up once again
for the suffering of their fans
on Saturday.
James Osborn’s early
shot from the edge of the box
flew past the post, but Bedford
dominated the opening 20 minutes.
Tomlinson curled a shot over
the bar before Lynch had a goalbound
header brilliantly saved by
Keita Karamoko.
Harrow then grew stronger.
Adam Everitt’s 20-yard
free-kick was saved by Brown,
who recovered brilliantly to
turn round Robert Charles’s
follow-up. There was then a
scramble in the visiting goalmouth
before the ball was headed over
the bar. Clemente Lopez got
to the by-line and set up Pat
Gavin, eight yards out, but
he spooned the ball over the
bar. Then Lopez put in another
fine cross that Fabio Valenti
would surely have converted
if he had thrown himself at
the ball.
But against the run of play,
Bedford opened the scoring in
the 34th minute. Everitt needlessly
brought down a visiting attacker,
with little danger, and Lynch
put the penalty to Karamoko’s
left.
Worse followed two minutes
later. Lynch made a hefty challenge
on Karamoko, who lashed out
as the two players lay on the
turf. Bedford’s Williams
ran 15 yards to lay into Karamoko,
and a mighty melee ensued. When
order was restored, Karamoko
was red-carded, thereby ensuring
he will miss the opening three
games of next season. To the
astonishment of probably everyone
in the ground, whatever their
allegiance, Williams just got
a booking. With the crowd incensed
in the following minutes and
Williams continuing to see the
red mist, visiting manager Kevin
Wilson quickly removed him from
the fray, and referee Downey
came off at half-time to a torrent
of comments on his performance.
Clement Lopez had replaced
Karamoko between the sticks,
but he himself was substituted
at half-time, with Pat Gavin
going in goal. The Borough veteran
has played up-front and in defence
this season, and now ended the
campaign as custodian. A ‘normal’
goalkeeper might have done better
in the 56th minute when Gavin
was beaten to a bouncing ball
by Tomlinson, who ran on to
score. But Gavin pulled off
a superb double-save four minutes
later, from Tomlinson and then
from Lynch’s follow-up.
Borough’s ten men were
now in some disarray, and Daniel
Dyer headed off the line following
a Bedford corner. On a rare
Harrow attack, Brian Haule headed
Everitt’s cross narrowly
wide. Dyer then made a fine
saving tackle to foil another
Bedford attack, and Gavin made
another good save to tip Tomlinson’s
shot onto the post.
Harrow had a late flurry, with
Valenti turning to shoot wide,
before Osborn’s free-kick
was met with a firm header by
Everitt that was turned onto
the post by Brown. But the final
goalmouth action of Harrow’s
season saw Gavin in action again,
turning away Miller’s
shot.
Harrow ended up safe by two
points, in an 18th place that
most realistically-minded supporters
would have settled for before
the season, knowing the financial
restrictions under which Edwin
Stein operates. But even with
a low budget, there is one area
where improvements should be
easy to achieve. Sendings-off
have again been rife this term,
and - no surprise -
in most cases they have not
acted in Borough’s favour.
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