| With Borough
unbeaten in their last 4 games
but languishing in the relegation
area facing an unpredictable
City side the game would probably
be decided on which team settled
first. In the 1st minute Borough
awarded a free kick just outside
the area saw Stuart Elliott
lob the ball into the penalty
area where Kevin McKenna’s
header narrowly missed the crossbar,
but 6 minutes later McKenna
in a central position 20 yards
out received a long pass, turned
and blasted an unstoppable ball
into the top right corner with
keeper White rooted to the spot.
Injured mainstay central defender
Richard Goddard was substituted
by Clemente Lopez and with Borough
attack managing comfortably
to maraud against City’s
flat back static four it was
no surprise that on 13 minutes
David Ocquaye trapped the ball
shielded it from City defenders,
made room, and with Fabio Valenti
drawing other defenders away
rolled the ball into Ross Fitzsimon's
path who dwelt, waited for the
keeper to advance, rounded him
and slid the ball in from 12
yards out. City responded but
Tomlinson’s shot lacked
power and was easily picked
up by Keita Karamoko.
The Borough defender Danny
Moore was dispossessed by Seeby
along the right flank and now
unmarked raced towards the by
line. His cross found the head
of leading goal scorer McDonnell
but his downward shot landed
just outside the post -
a let off for Borough. From
a corner City’s outswinger
found Seeby who’s header
was going goalwards until Karamoko
fingertipped it over the bar.
Borough came back as Valenti
caught the City defence flat
footed again for pace and left
in acres of space on the left
flank cut in slotted the ball
into Ocquaye and his placed
low ball shot was headed up
by De Souza into the grateful
arms of White.
Borough continued the onslaught
as McKenna’s blasted shot
hit the crossbar bounced out
to Valenti but his returned
volley was blocked by the harassed
City defence. With the marauding
Valenti working both sides,
this time the right flank, he
outpaced the City defenders
but his low pacey cross found
keeper White and McKenna tussling
for the ball, with the keeper’s
courage just edging the ball
out to safety with McKenna lying
injured. Then on 39 minutes
in a similar situation with
Valenti on the right flank,
his swept ball across goal saw
a pressured White fluff the
save and allow McKenna to poke
the ball into the goal.
The overworked City keeper
continued to stop shots from
Danny Murphy and the back to
form Valenti but then he was
badly caught in possession by
Ocquaye inside the area but
instead of passing quickly to
supporting Murphy he dwelt and
allowed City defence to regroup
and regain possession. Borough’s
domination continued as Murphy
beat 2 defenders turned goalwards
and shot from 20 yards just
missing the upright. As the
half ended shots from Valenti
and Clemente Lopez found the
keeper desperate to stop the
fourth going in.
Second half saw City come out
attacking with Seeby’s
shot deflected awkwardly into
the air but Karamoko gathered
near the crossbar. Then Borough’s
other central defender Perry
Norman went off with an ankle
injury and City tactically brought
on 2 taller players. With Borough
reduced to a re-organised shorter
defence Karamoko was made to
work harder in the home goal
as surrounded by big men Glynn
and Martin he punched out from
a city corner. But on their
next corner with no Borough
defender able to match his spring
Martin headed in easily. Shouts
of a 2nd goal from the City
faithful behind the Borough
goal followed a Karamoko easy
save who then inexplicably stepped
back one pace before his clearance
but the linesman and referee
ignored their protestations.
With City committed to attack
the speedy Valenti and the guile
of Murphy exploited weaknesses
but their shots found the keepers
arms. Then Ocquaye put through
on goal was dispossessed by
the brave keeper. The next attack
saw Ocquaye beat 2 defenders
by flick passing the ball to
himself but as he tried to pass
the keeper, White finger touched
the ball out but Ocquaye forced
wide turned and shot towards
an empty net but the ball sailed
over the crossbar. In the dying
minute McKenna and Abdulai Yoki
interpassed on the right flank
pushed the ball into the path
of Osman Hasan, whose drive
shot from 18 yards was going
into the bottom right corner
but the scrambling White just
got his fingers to it to push
round for a corner.
|
| This match
started quietly but suddenly
burst into life in the seventh
minute when the ball was passed
to Kevin McKenna who hit a spectacular
and speculative shot into the
top right hand corner of the
net from over 30 yards out.
So surprised was the St Albans
keeper, Barry White that he
hardly moved. The Saints should
have equalised in the twelth
minute when Nic McDonnell headed
wide with Harrow goalkeeper
Keita Karamoko well beaten.
Richard Goddard was substituted
in the 15th minute by Harrow,
having played despite suffering
a back problem. Almost immediately,
Harrow doubled their league.
David Ocquaye found himself
free in the middle of the field
and unselfishly passed the ball
to Ross Fitzsimon who took aim
and shot the ball underneath
the advancing White and into
the goal.
Further chances came for Harrow
in a series of subsequent attacks,
but were somehow kept out by
a shaky St Albans defence, and
a goalkeeper who was now making
too many mistakes. Harrow were
not to be denied however and
in the 35th minute McKenna sent
Valenti clear on the right wing.
He hit a low hard shot into
the area which White failed
to deal with and McKenna had
the simple job of tapping the
ball home.
It was 3-0 at half time, and
the game was effectively over.
The second half was eventful,
mainly for players from both
sides receiving bookings and
the game having to be continually
stopped. Then in the 61st minute
Perry Norman for Harrow turned
his ankle. It appeared to be
a painful injury, caused yet
further problems in the Harrw
defence.
St Albans did manage to pull
one goal back when Simon Martin,
who had come on as a substitute,
headed home unchallenged from
a corner in the 77th minute,
but Harrow held firm to the
end and deserved this victory. |
