| Borough
were taught footballing lessons
in finishing and defending when
Conference leaders Hereford
United came to Earlsmead on
Saturday. But, despite the result,
Harrow could take some positives
from a game in which the final
score was a somewhat unfair
reflection of the pattern of
play.
Missing goalkeeper Keita Karamoko
and Danny Murphy, both suspended,
Borough were nevertheless able
to welcome back Clemente Lopez
and Richard Goddard, both recovered
from injury, and Kevin McKenna,
back from suspension. Harrow
were close to a golden start
when Robert Charles ran clear
of a square Hereford back-four
in the first minutes and hit
a shot from the edge of the
penalty area that beat keeper
Baker but bounced squarely off
the post. Who knows what might
have happened if that had gone
in?
Fabio Valenti then made a good
break on the right, but Harrow’s
early surge was quelled when,
after six minutes, the visitors
went ahead with their first
serious attack. Williams hit
an early ball in from the right
wing and Bulls top-scorer Guinan
hit a sweet shot that keeper
James Jackson ought nevertheless
to have saved easily. However,
the ball beat him at the near
post and nestled in the goal.
Three minutes later, Jackson
dived to hold a Guinan header.
Play broke to the other end
and Valenti hit a chip that
went just wide of the post with
Baker scrambling across his
goal. Ross Fitzsimon and Clemente
Lopez then had shots off target
as Borough looked for an equaliser,
before Baker dived full-length
to his left to tip a Charles
shot round the post.
Borough were threatening an
equaliser but, on the stroke
of half-time, it was the visitors
who showed their class with
a doubling of the lead. Again,
right-winger Williams was the
source of the goal, this time
with a far-post cross that Guinan
soared to head in.
There was time in first half
injury time for a Lopez curling
shot past Baker’s goal,
and a good Perry Norman interception
of a Brown cross in the Harrow
goalmouth.
Norman was withdrawn at half-time,
Danny Moore coming on at left
back and Dean Marney switching
to central defence. Smith’s
52nd minute header was saved
by Jackson. Wayne Walters and
Richard Goddard both needed
lengthy treatment after a clash
of heads on the hour, when they
both went for the same ball,
and there may have been some
resulting lack of concentration
when Hereford went further ahead
after 64 minutes, a long throw
from the left leading to an
over-the-shoulder flick by Brown
that went over Jackson. The
game was put right out of Harrow’s
reach three minutes later when
Smith was allowed a free header
from Williams’s corner
to make it 0-4.
Harrow showed some good spirit
by pulling a goal back after
72 minutes. Ross Fitzsimon ran
at the heart of the visiting
defence, and laid the ball to
his right to David Ocquaye.
He touched it further right
to Abdulai Yoki, just on as
a substitute, and his cross-shot
from the corner of the penalty
area flew over Baker.
Jackson saved well from Smith’s
header but Borough briefly threatened
a revival. Teesdale escaped
a strong claim for handball
in the visiting area, to be
fair the ball having probably
glanced off his head a fraction
prior to hitting his arm. Yoki
then outpaced the visiting defence,
his shot being blocked and Valenti’s
theatrical fall when he picked
up the rebound earning the Borough
striker a caution. Baker then
saved Valenti’s effort
at the foot of the post.
Hereford came back and speedy
substitute Carey-Bertram brought
a good save from Jackson. With
six minutes to go, Rose’s
corner enticed Jackson from
his goal, but he failed to catch
the ball and Guinan headed in
to complete his hat-trick and
make it 1-5.
A good tackle stopped Parry
in the act of shooting, before
late exchanges saw Goddard’s
header saved by Baker, who also
saved shots by Ocquaye and Kevin
McKenna. Two minutes into stoppage
time, Hereford again showed
how it should be done when Carey-Bertram
was put clear of the home defence
and slotted the ball under Jackson.
So that’s the end of
the Borough Cup run. If repeated,
the team spirit shown in this
game will stand them in good
stead as they seek to climb
from their precarious league
position. But the defensive
errors won’t - there is
much to be done at the back
to improve the organisation,
and teams of far lesser class
than Hereford will have similar
success if it is not addressed
now.
|
