With driving rain and a heavy sodden ground this match was never going to be for the purist, but nevertheless it was entertaining.

Borough started brightly with Frank McCormack's early domination on the left flank leading to a near header over goal by Nikolaj Lund and later to Marc Walsh left in space near the penalty spot, but struggling to stand up, weakly gifting the ball to the oncoming keeper.

Then Shane Small-King picked up a loose ball outside the city area and running wide, drawing defenders away, pivoted, and crossed with accuracy to Gabby Williams, in an ideal scoring position, whose weak shot rolled past the near post. City came more into the game as their wingers Piper and Pratt got more service. First Piper beat 2 Borough defenders along the left flank and crossed the ball to an onrushing unmarked Jones, who smashed the ball over the bar from 10 yards - a golden opportunity.

Later Pratt made space on the right flank and passed the ball thru to a tightly marked Ansell who seeing David Hook advancing off his line, lobbed over his head and the bar. Then good moves involving Otis Roberts, Derek Payne supported by Andy Rose saw poor finishing by both Rose and then Payne whose weak ground shots in the sticking mud were easily smothered by the keeper. Later Lund making space in the centre, made ground and threaded the ball thru to Williams but the keeper scrambled out and smothered the rising shot as it left the striker's foot.

The second half saw City put pressure on Borough again thru their wing play with Piper squandering 4 good chances to score with Hook smothering, Rose kicking off the line, over the bar and lastly into the side netting. The pressure carried on and City attacks continued to be thwarted with Rose again kicking off the line and then Roberts heading the ball off the line from an in-swinging corner. Borough made changes and the tide turned with a gathering onslaught on the City goal.

Shots rained in from Rose Roberts Small King and Lund but City bodies either blocked the shots, their keeper punched at everything, or the shots went high or wide. McCormack then broke loose on the left flank, passed inside to Hasan Oktay who took on and beat 2 defenders but his powerful drive from 15 yards was taken well by the keeper and held. City made changes and Ansell's driven shot just outside the penalty area beat Hook but Danny Nwaokolo running back, kicked off the line preventing a goal.

From a corner Knight headed goalwards, but from the throng of players Nwaokolo rose on the line to head out. City pressure eventually told as Piper swung the ball into a crowded penalty area and the scramble that followed saw Simpson force the ball in on 87 minutes. Borough went for the equaliser with Lund putting Oktay through but the ball was whipped off his feet as he went to shoot.

HARROW BOROUGH: HOOK, ROSE, NWAOKOLO, HARPIMAA, WALSH, PAYNE, ROBERTS, LUND, WILLIAMS (OKTAY), SMALL-KING, MCCORMACK (DURU) UNUSED: PROTAIN

ST. ALBANS CITY: HURST, ROONEY, CAMPBELL, MORAN, RISLEY, HARVEY, PIPER, JONES (SAMUELS), SIMBA (SIMPSON), ANSELL, PRATT (KNIGHT) GOAL: SIMPSON 87 mins

REFEREE: P. MELIN

STEIN ORDERED OUT OF DUGOUT. NO OTHER CARDS.

The beginning of the end of the Champions League?