Canvey
Island 3 Harrow Borough 0
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Lineups / Goalscorers
Prior
to this game, a banner-towing aircraft exhorted the home team
to 'Come On Canvey'. If anyone in Earlsmead fancies a similar
investment, a message from above that the season has begun might
be in order. For, once again, Harrow have made a dreadful start
to the season.
After
four games they have just one point, the same number as at the
corresponding stage of last season, and now have an awful goal
difference of minus nine. The portents before the game were not
good, with Pat Gavin absent with an injury sustained in scoring
Borough's only goal on Saturday. Canvey were the first to threaten,
with Mark Cooper scrambling the ball clear in the 4th minute after
David Hook had failed to hold a header. Hook then made a fine
diving save to tip over a Jones shot.
A
series of home corners ended with a Bennett header past the post.
Harrow's first serious threat was in the 22nd minute, when Francis
McCormack's cross was met by a clever Keith Newby header, that
the home defence cleared before Mark Xavier could gather and shoot.
McCormack's 25-yard free-kick then went round the home wall but
was safely held by Harrison. In the 34th minute, Xavier's shot
was blocked. McCormack crossed the loose ball for Junior Hunter
to flash a header wide.
McCormack
was then injured in a tackle, Jesse Hall substituting. Hall had
the ball in the net on the stroke of half-time but the referee
had noted that Hunter had used his arm in jumping with Harrison
in the build up. The frustrated Hunter was booked for a kick at
Harrison as both men ended up on the floor. Canvey's performance
in the run-up to half-time probably drew some strong words from
their management at half-time, and they looked to have switched
up a gear as the second period began. Parmenter shot over the
bar in the 49th minute, but made no mistake when presented with
an opportunity a minute later, lashing home a left footer from
the edge of the area to give them the lead.
Harrow
had an immediate opportunity to level, but Hall failed to connect
with Newby's cross to the far post. In the 53rd minute, Harrow
suffered a big blow. Hunter jumped for a through ball and fell
awkwardly, with a sickening crack audible. The game was held up
while his legs were carefully taped together and he was lifted
gingerly onto a stretcher. When the game restarted, Harrow did
not seem to have re-organised clearly. Jones volleyed over the
bar, and Danny Nwaokolo cleared Bodley's effort off the line.
A feature of the season so far has been the giving-away of needless
penalties, and this game was no exception.
Parmenter
was not threatening seriously, on the left hand side of the area,
when Mark Cooper felled him in the 61st minute. Tilson beat Hook
from the spot for the crucial second goal. Harrow kept going,
and Kelechi Duru had a shot across the goal, and Andy Rose burst
through to fire over the bar. But with Borough men committed upfield,
Kennedy broke away from three Harrow defenders in the 75th minute
to fire home the third Canvey goal.
A
blatant handball from Bodley to stop Nicolai Lund's cross went
unpunished, and late efforts from Hall and Xavier drew saves from
Harrison, the latter a high-quality one. But a goal at this stage
would have been of consolation value only. Harrow's new line up
on and off the field needs to learn very quickly that, at this
level, 90 minutes of concentration is required. A tightening up
is needed in central defence, slicker, more incisive passing is
needed in midfield, and up-front, a goalscorer must be found very
soon to replace the departed Mike Bignall.
