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Dulwich
Hamlet 0
Harrow Borough 1
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Lineups / Goalscorers
 Harrow
Borough made it twelve points from the last six matches and climbed
to the comforts of a mid-table position with this victory at Champion
Hill on Saturday.
A
first clean sheet of the season was the reward for the defence,
while at the other end all that was missing from some excellent
build up play was a greater number of goals. Dulwich's leading scorer
Fowler went close with a 13th minute chip, but Harrow were soon
running the game and creating openings.
Francis
McCormack's 19th minute cross was met by a fierce Nicolaj Lund header
which drew a breathtaking save from Cleevely in the home goal. Pat
Gavin's follow-up was deflected wide. McCormack's willingness to
cross the ball first time from the left created opportunities all
afternoon, and Mark Xavier went close with a diving header from
one three minutes later.
Andy
Rose then delivered a cross from the right that Gavin headed back
across goal but just wide. Dulwich enjoyed some pressure around
the half-hour. David Hook made a fine fist away of a Dussard drive,
and Ebanks had a fierce shot deflected wide. However, Harrow were
well on top again come the break, with Lund's 20-yarder going too
high after concerted pressure.
Level
at half time but well on top, there were fears that Harrow might
be vulnerable to early home pressure in the second half. However,
the visitors came out from the break in dominant mood. Dwayne Lewis
drove a shot wide, and McCormack and Xavier were closed down when
they broke clear, before the goal came in the 48th minute. Xavier's
cross was half-cleared to the edge of the box, where Gavin shielded
the ball to allow McCormack to step away and thrash a 20-yarder
into the net past the diving Cleevely's right hand.
Francis
will have been particularly pleased with the effort as it came from
his (supposedly) weaker right foot. Borough have been vulnerable
upon taking the lead in recent games, and had a scare in the 50th
minute when Palmer's header from Garland's free-kick was deflected
by Emond Protain onto his own post. However, there was a great determination
to add to their lead and, after Xavier's shot was deflected for
a corner, Rose cut inside in the 61st minute to hit a left-footer
from 20 yards that thumped against the crossbar.
Cleevely
made his second wonder-save of the match, twisting to turn away
Gavin's header from McCormack's cross, before saving another Gavin
header and a Rose shot, and catching another McCormack cross under
pressure from Gavin. Dulwich had a brief spell of pressure in an
attempt to equalise, and Hewitt, Cross and Fowler had shots off
target. But the game ended with Borough again encamped in the home
half.
There
were good performances all over the park, but particular praise
must be given to the central midfield pair of Nicolaj Lund and Dwayne
Lewis. Both have only forced their way into the side in the last
couple of weeks, but both will take some shifting on these performances.
Lewis drove his colleagues forward all afternoon, showing no qualms
about shouting instructions to senior team-mates even though this
was only his fourth first team outing, while Lund's vision, touch
and quality of pass suggested that his desire, on coming to England,
of using Harrow as a stepping-stone to a Football League club, is
certainly not over-ambitious.
Neither
John Hurlock, now clear of suspension, nor Jon-Barrie Bates, now
out of plaster following his broken leg, can assume that their way
back into the first team will be automatic.
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