|
Perry
Norman leaps with joy
after scoring Harrow's
opener |
|
| A
hard-fought Cup-tie ended in
a draw that will have pleased
and disappointed both sides.
The hosts will have been pleased
to have got a draw having fallen
two goals behind, but will be
disappointed not to have capitalised
on some late domination. Harrow
meanwhile will be sorry that
their early control was wrested
from them, but relieved that
they survived the closing stages
with central defender Dean Marney
in goal.
Borough
were strengthened from their
midweek line-up by the return
of Richard Goddard in central
defence, and started off in
fine form. Surging early runs
from David Ocquaye and Fabio
Valenti led to nothing but gave
the twin strikers confidence
that they had the beating of
the home defence. After 10 minutes,
Harrow went in front. A short
corner routine led to a Stuart
Elliott cross, which Perry Norman
chested down and rifled a shot
into goal from 12 yards. Moments
later the lead might have been
doubled as Goddard soared above
the home defence to head another
corner just wide.
However,
it wasn’t long before
Harrow’s upbeat tempo
led to a doubling of the lead.
Steve Dogbe’s through
ball sent Ocquaye in on goal.
Keeper Arthur came out to him,
and the ball broke to Valenti
who chipped a beautiful goal
over the stranded keeper from
25 yards.
Fitzsimon’s
shot was blocked, Abdulai Yoki
shot wide, and a clever free-kick
led to an Elliott effort that
was saved as Harrow sought a
third goal. Yoki had come on
for Clemente Lopez, who had
pulled a hamstring in what is
becoming a season of ongoing
injury for the left-sided player.
Initially Yoki had slotted in
on the left side in Lopez’s
midfield berth, allowing Valenti
and Ocquaye to continue to terrorise
the home defence. But the Borough
management then switched Yoki
and Valenti, maybe with the
intention of providing better
protection to the lead, but
the effect was to allow the
hosts to become to get into
the game in the closing minutes
of the half. They halved the
deficit on the stroke of half-time,
Chudy getting past Elliott on
the left and crossing beyond
the far post. Keeping was waiting
in the middle to deflect in
the cross-shot that came back
from the other side.
Edwin Stein
further reorganised at half-time,
withdrawing Yoki, putting on
Dean Marney, and allowing Valenti
to go back up front. But the
hosts had gained some initiative
from their goal, and early in
the second period Pilcher bundled
the ball narrowly wide when
Keita Karamoko failed to grab
a corner. Arthur saved Valenti’s
shot from a tight angle, but
the goalmouth action was now
happening more at the Harrow
end. In the 73rd minute Danny
Moore was dispossessed, the
ball was played across from
the right and Chudy rammed in
the equaliser at the far post.
Harrow ought
to have retaken the lead when
some fine work on the right
by Ross Fitzsimon ended with
a cross onto Dogbe’s head,
but he headed over from six
yards.
Crisis loomed
for Harrow in the 79th minute
when Kevin McKenna lost possession
in the Newport half. The ball
was quickly switched upfield
and Karamoko rushed out his
penalty area to close down an
on-rushing forward. Whether
instinctive or not, when he
lifted his arms to bat down
the forward’s attempted
chip, his red card was absolutely
inevitable. Marney took over
the keeper’s jumper, and
had an immediate escape as Pilcher’s
free-kick hit the bar and Howes
blazed the rebound over. The
home side now sensed victory
and Wright brought a good save
from Marney after a sharp turn.
The part-time keeper then made
an even better save to turn
Hatcher’s shot round the
post.
But Borough
nearly snatched the win at the
death, when Robert Charles’s
glancing header from Elliott’s
free-kick shaved the far post. |
