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David
Ocquaye opened his scoring
account for Harrow |
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| It’s
taken 161 days, but at last
Harrow’s fans have a win
to celebrate, after an improved
performance at the New Lodge
on a hot September afternoon.
Borough are still bottom, but
this result puts them back in
touch with the teams just above
them, including Saturday’s
hosts.
After a disappointing night
in goal against Sutton, David
Hook gave up the keeper’s
jersey for Keita Karamoko, while
Fabio Valenti forsook the wing-back
role to join David Ocquaye up
front.
Reddington dived to head a
left-wing cross over Karamoko’s
bar after 5 minutes, but it
was Harrow who made most of
the early running. Home keeper
John made a flying diving save
to keep out Kevin McKenna’s
pile-driven shot after 11 minutes,
and was in action again five
minutes later, first turning
away McKenna’s angled
shot at point-blank range, then
leaping to tip over Steve Dogbe’s
chip. At the other end Danny
Moore, making his full debut
for Borough, made a good interception
from a goalbound Billericay
header.
Karamoko tipped over Ansell’s
free-kick that breached the
Harrow wall on the stroke of
half-time, but at the break
Borough fans had the unusual
feeling that their side were
looking likely winners of the
game.
Harrow were most unfortunate
not to take the lead after 47
minutes. David Ocquaye fed Clemente
Lopez in the inside-left position,
and his angled drive produced
a brilliant save by John, deflecting
the ball just enough for it
to hit the inside of the far
post before being hooked clear.
Six minutes later, a quick free-kick
sent Valenti away on the left.
His excellent cross beat John
but was scrambled away by Reddington.
Ocquaye then turned a defender
on the edge of the box and fired
narrowly wide.
Borough really had to convert
their pressure into a goal,
and it came after 61 minutes.
Valenti’s clever ball
inside the full-back sent Ocquaye
clear. He held off a defender
and hit a low shot past the
advancing John into the far
corner.
Harrow looked comfortable with
the lead, although Karamoko
made a good save from Patterson.
But in the closing minutes,
the realisation of how near
they were to breaking their
winless sequence became more
evident, and they began to sit
deeper and invite home pressure.
Ansell twisted in the area and
forced Karamoko to turn his
shot round the post and, three
minutes into stoppage time,
some desperate heads and boots
were needed in a goalmouth scramble
before Karamoko dropped onto
the ball, to a sigh of relief
from the Harrow fans that could
probably be heard back at Earlsmead.
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