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 Jon-Barrie
Bates, absent all season following a horrendous pre-season leg injury,
made a dream return to Borough colours on Saturday when he set up
a late equaliser to complete a brave second half fight-back.
The
point ended an awful run of four consecutive defeats. Harrow arrived
at New Lodge with very little confidence after conceding ten goals
in the previous two games, but there had been some transfer activity
since the Hitchin match and three players made their debuts. Joe
Lyons played at left-back, allowing Dwayne Lewis to return to midfield,
where he was joined by Matt Turnbull and Fabio Valenti, who replaced
Keith Newby and Steve Barnes, neither of whom had shone in recent
weeks.
However,
it looked like being the same story as before when Justin Gentle's
angled shot flew past David Hook to give the home side a fifth minute
lead. It could have been two a minute later when the Borough defence
got pulled to the left, allowing Gentle another shot, this time
into the side netting. Borough began to settle and the new men to
find their feet. Andy Rose's curling cross from the right eluded
King in the home goal but John Hurlock, coming in at the far post,
could not get enough of his foot on the ball to force it into goal.
Valenti showed ability on the left, beating the Billericay right-back
but seeing his cross cleared.
However,
the home side were on top in the first half and, before the interval,
Hook made a fine diving save from a dangerous cross and then threw
himself at Linger's feet to grab the ball. The Gentle brothers combined
dangerously, with Dominic heading Justin's cross wide of the post.
On a bitterly cold afternoon, Borough re-organised at half-time.
Hurlock was withdrawn into midfield, allowing Valenti and Derek
Payne to push up just behind Marcus Richardson. Valenti was immediately
in action, rising with King to meet Turnbull's cross but just coming
off second best to the home keeper.
King
then had to rush from his goal to clear from Valenti's feet, Payne's
follow-up cross being headed behind by a home defender only for
referee Mead, whose whole afternoon's display can politely be described
as 'odd', to award a goal-kick. Mark Cooper, much improved in the
Borough defence, was relieved to see his clearance from Baker's
cross go past his own post, but it was now Harrow who were dominating
possession. In the 58th minute Valenti took the ball past King who
had come out of the penalty area.
He
might have gone to ground as King clearly clipped his heels, which
would have had serious repercussions for the home keeper, but he
remained on his feet and hit a goal-bound chip which Dickisnson
got back to head clear. Bates's arrival on the field was met with
a great cheer from Borough fans, who had not thought they would
see the midfielder in action this season. Within six minutes J-B
had entered the referee's notebook for a foul, but he was also showing
other characteristics with some clever tackling and passing.
In
the 77th minute, King was beaten by Payne's overhead kick, but the
ball went just past the post. Payne's header then sent Valenti into
the penalty area, only for King to stick a foot out and save when
it appeared that he might have been beaten. With six minutes left,
Harrow got what was by then a deserved equaliser. Bates leapt aove
a crowd of players to meet Valenti's corner, and his header down
was met by a neat shot on the turn by Lewis who recorded his first
goal for Harrow. Harrow looked a little nervous at the prospect
of ending their losing run. Hook had to save from Spencer, and Rose
made a fine tackle to clear a dangerous situation, prior to the
final whistle.
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